Rockman ZW
by Weapon of Light
Summary: A FanFic of the Rockman ZX Universe. Follow the story of a thief by the name of Alister and his Live Metal Model ZW. While attempting to save a young boy Alister merges with Model ZW to begin his fight against evil. If you like a long story read this. R
1. Prolouge

Hello all to my first Rockman Fanfic! I've loved Rockman since he aired on TV many years ago. Only I knew him as MegaMan back then. I use the name Rockman so it doesn't sound so childish. So to get right to it, here is my FanFic. Now I'm not the best when it comes to describing characters, or coming up with names for them so bear with me. Unless you have played the Rockman Zero series, or Rockman ZX this may be a little hard to follow. Please read and review, as I am use to people only reading and not reviewing!!

Rockman ZW  
Prologue: Pride, Honor, and False Justice

It's a dark and gloomy night in Neo Arcadia... lightning shoots across the sky as the rain pours onto Tera. The thunder booms across the land, shaking even the tallest buildings. Not a soul in sight, fearing the lightning coming from the sky. A single bolt of electricity hits, and destroys a home. Catching the other homes on fire, everyone quickly works to put it out. But to no avail, the fire consumes the area. Another lightning bolt shoots across the sky, making everyone look towards the bolt. They can see five shadow figures standing atop one of the tallest buildings.

"Guardians! Save the people of Neo Arcadia, and put out the flames of nature!" the one leading commands.

The shadows move quickly to ease the people, and put out the fires. One uses the rain to his advantage. Quickly forming a cyclone of wind, before directing the rain towards the flames. Another rushes towards the flames, shooting large blocks of ice above the fires. The flames quickly melt the ice, causing a small flood. As flames surround a family is panic, they hug each other, saying their goodbyes. Another figure drops down in front of them, punching the ground, causing a wave of fire to counter the flames. Another figure takes the family to safety. Soon after, the city of Neo Arcadia is safe, and at ease once again.

"Guardians return to the castle!" the lead figure commands. At once, they disappear, as if they were never there. The people settle down, and help the ones who had just lost their homes.

At the castle, the lead figure sits down on his throne, as the other four surround him. Another shadow figure appears behind the throne.

"Well done everyone. I am pleased that not a soul was lost tonight." speaks the lead shadow.

"It was all because of you and your leadership Master X." one replies.

"Come now Harpuia, it was a team effort. Nothing less." X replies back.

"It wasn't much of a challenge! Flames are my specialty!" another speaks up.

"You're too much of a hot head Fefnir." the other speaks.

"Shut it Leviathan!" Fefnir shouts.

"Always shooting your mouth off." the last figure says as he steps into the light.

Black chest plate, shoulder pads and arms. Silver in the middle of the shoulder pads, and silver in the middle of the chest plate, going across to the sides. He wears a black helmet, with silver right above his green eyes, and slightly to the side. A silver faceplate, that does cover his entire face. Black on his legs, with silver going down. His boots are also silver. Has a single spike going straight up on the front of the helmet. Silver arm guards, with black daggers that can extend out. A silver scarf flips in the air as he continues to walk forward.

"Keep a lid on it Zerowing! Remember we taught you everything you know!" Fefnir shouts.

"Easy Fefnir. You know Zerowing doesn't mean any harm." Harpuia says as he looks back at him.

"Hehehe... that's right Fefnir! So you better treat Zerowing right!" the figure behind the throne says, as he floats in front of X.

"Dr. Weil, I really wish you would start telling me about your presence." X speaks.

"Yeah, besides lurking in the shadows." says Leviathan.

"He he... Master X, I have some urgent matters to talk with you about... they concern the legend Zero..." Weil says as he floats off. X stands up, and follows Weil. The four Guardians bow to X leaving, then walk out of the throne room. As they walk down the hallway, they talk about many things.

"That Weil... I know he's up to something rotten!" says Harpuia.

"Master X trusts him, we should too." Zerowing speaks.

"Eh, I don't trust him one bit! I think he's out to take control of Neo Arcadia!" Fefnir suggests..

"He could be... but how can we be sure?" Leviathan questions.

"Lurking in the shadows... If he is up to something, then we will stop him. That is the duty of us Guardians is it not?" Zerowing questions back.

"Heh, I can't believe how much you have changed Zerowing. You have finally earned the Guardian rank. Phantom would have been proud of you. You were his top student." Harpuia says as he places his hand on Zerowing's shoulder.

"I miss Sensei Phantom at times... I will defeat this legendary Zero one day... in honor of Sensei..." speaks the black and silver Guardian.

"Not a chance! I'm the one who is going to defeat Zero! Not you!" Fefnir yells.

"Cool it hot head! We will all get our chances at Zero. Although I want to be the one to fight with him... hehe... it's fun!" Leviathan says.

"You sicken me." Fefnir says while putting his arms behind his head.

"Weil does worry me though... I do agree that he is up to something. But it may just be us thinking badly of him... I will say this. If he is up to something, I will put a stop to him myself." Zerowing says as the other three Guardians walk off.

"I have no doubt about that Zerowing... hehehe... but can you destroy your Master X?" Weil says from the shadows. He watches Zerowing walk off into the hallway. He floats back towards the throne room.

"Master X! I have another urgent matter to discuss with you!" he says as the doors shut behind him. Zerowing walks to an open window in the castle, and looks out of it.

He remembers the times when Phantom was teaching him basic training. How Phantom never gave up on him, and always had faith in his talents. The day Phantom gave him his scarf, Zerowing gained more confidence in himself. Being a Guardian, has given this Reploid a better view on his lifetime. Just then, a loud alarm is sounded, to signal the Guardians to return to the throne room. Zerowing dashes towards the throne room, expecting to find the other Guardians. He finds X, in his armored form, with his back turned against him. The lights are out, and the lightning lights the room at times.

"Master X? Where are the others? What's going on?" Zerowing questions.

"Why have you betrayed me Zerowing? I have treated you as Phantom had hoped you would be treated. And you repay me by trying to get the other three Guardians to take control of Neo Arcadia?" X questions as he turns around.

"What are you talking about Master X?! I would never do such a thing! I have been, and will always be your loyal servant!!" Zerowing pleads.

"Don't try to fool me again. Weil has already told me of your lies, and how the other three Guardians walked off as you mentioned betraying me. He's is talking with them right now! I am sorry to do this Zerowing... you are no longer a Guardian... too bad for you... that I cannot allow your powers outside of this castle!" X shouts as he charges towards Zerowing.

"Master X PLEASE!!" yells Zerowing. He dodges X, but he turns around firing a charged blast from his buster gun. The blast hits Zerowing, knocking him to the floor. He struggles to stand to his feet. X runs up to him, punching him back and forth.

"Why not fight Zerowing? You have nothing left to lose!" X says as he fires another blast point blank range. Zerowing flies back towards the throne, crashing into it. Damaged badly, he still stands to his feet.

"Because... Master X... I am always... loyal to you... Weil has tricked you!! Master please listen to me!!" begs Zerowing.

"Enough lies! I will not stand for this! Farewell Zerowing!" shouts X as he charges his buster gun.

He unleashes his charge shot, destroying most of Zerowing's body. He crashes into the wall, falling into the sky outside. He hits the ground with great impact. No movement, and lifeless. Suddenly, a glowing object hovers above his body. It takes form of the Cyber Elf X.

"You were wrongfully judged Zerowing... there is no way I can save you... as my powers are weak even as I speak... so I will take you away from here. You will have a death worthy of a Guardian. Someone who has fought to protect humans more times than I can count... it is sad... how easily my copied form can be tricked by evil..." he says as he turns back into a small glowing ball of light.

He turns Zerowing into a glowing ball of light as well. He takes Zerowing's body to Ciel, who puts him inside of a chamber, that will keep him as is, but still lifeless. To avoid people talking about him, or even seeing him, she places him underground. Deep under the Resistance Base. Not even Zero knew about this. Ciel made sure that she did as X asked. Zerowing died as a Guardian.

A year or so has passed. Zero, the legendary Reploid gave his life to save the people of Tera, and Area Zero. The remaining Guardians were destroyed while aiding Zero defeat Omega, a demon from the Elf Wars. Weil was destroyed as well, by Zero's own hands. Another year has passed, and Ciel has discovered something that makes her un-easy. A very large device, that contains the essence of Weil... she studies the device for years, and finally comes to this conclusion...

Weil would be back, and without Zero... she knew that the world would need new heroes to rise and fight the evil once again. She began to study Reploids of the past. The chosen Reploids were none other than Zero, Fefnir, Leviathan, Harpuia, Phantom, X and Zerowing... In order to harness their powers, she collected data on them. Their favorites, dislikes, and even their favorite place to go to. All of this data was collected, to create the perfect fighting aid. She called them Live Metals. Able to speak, with a mind of its own, and a will of its own. But these Live Metals would need a host, to bond with, and become stronger.

This was called the Rebirth of Crystallized Knowledge System. R.O.C.K System for short. Time after time, she attempted to find hosts for the Live Metals. But failed every time. She went into further studies of the Live Metals, and found an answer. Only certain hosts that contain a certain mineral inside of their body can transform. This mineral was later, code named "Rock Man"

Her plans were set into action, as she created that mineral, and began giving it to small children at an amusement park. The reasons for this, was so the mineral could help the child grow, and develop on a natural level. She handed the mineral out in candy form, so that the parents would not know anything. This also worried her. She was taking a very large risk by giving the candy to just anyone. She had no idea if the child was to grow up to be an evil leader, or a lone hero. But the chance had to be taken. On her very last visit to the park, Mavericks attacked the park. Killing countless people. Among them was many kids, who had the candy from before. Ciel, fell to one of the attacks. Her work was finished on that day. To her last breath, she thought only of Zero, and how she did the best she could do without him.

The Maverick attack was finally taken care of by a man named Serpen. His forces took care of the people as they ran for their lives. Among the Mavericks captured, was a wild baboon Reploid, who escaped from his cage among the excitement. Many of the children now had no parents to live with. Some were alone, with not a soul to rely on. Serpen's forces may have taken the Mavericks out, but failed to aid the needy in their darkest hours. One boy, and a girl walk away with a man named Giroutte, who had a secret job in mind. Another boy cries for the death of his sister, as they were orphans, visiting the park just to find food to eat. At a very young age.

Eleven years has passed since then. The boy and girl taken by Giro turned out to be the chosen ones for Model X, of the Live Metals. They found Serpen to be the holder of Model W, the same device that Ciel feared. They fought bravely, and saved Tera from a great evil. The boy who lost his sister is nothing more than a common thief now. He still searches for meaning in his life, hoping to find it one day. Until that day, he will continue to steal for his life to be spared another dreadful day.

End of Prolouge


	2. First Chapter: Destiny Born

Rockman ZW  
First Chapter: Destiny Born

It has been one month since Serpen fell to the hands of Vent and Aile. The land is in Chaos. Not one soul alive, besides the Guardians knows of who was the one who defeated Serpen. The people are afraid now. Who will rise up to save them from future attacks? The Guardians can only go so far, providing support for the victims of Maverick Raids. The times seems desperate as more people lose their lives to the raids of the Mavericks. A gang of Mavericks have been sighted near the city limits. Slowly approaching, as the people run in terror. But this time, the raid is directed in a different location. A small warehouse located at the far east gate. They have only one goal in mind for this day.

Total destruction of that warehouse. A common thief wanders around the outside of the warehouse. Unknown to the Mavericks, he wants what is inside of the warehouse. The Mavericks tear apart the city on their way to the east. This thief watches from above as he jumps across the roof tops. He is wearing black boots, blue jeans, white shirt with the sleeves cut off. Over his white shirt he wears a blue jean jacket with short sleeves. A blue face mask to keep safe from nosy Guardian forces. Brown hair that almost reaches shoulder length, and blue eyes. His hair flips in the wind as he leaps across tops of the homes of many people.

He takes notice that a single Maverick is attacking a small family, running for their lives. He also takes notice of a large stack of barrels behind the Maverick. He instantly takes his knife out, hurling it towards the stack of barrels. Cutting the rope holding them back, the barrels roll towards the wolf looking Maverick. He continues on his way, as a Maverick bird flies past him. It turns around quickly, preparing to attack.

"Bah! Foolish human! How dare you attack one of my own!" he screeches while flying forward.

"Says you loud mouth!" he smarts back, jumping over the attack.

He does not want to waste time on the small items at hand. He wants the real prize, inside of the warehouse that lies ahead. Something called a Live Metal. Something that is worth millions of S-Crystal's on the Black Market. He tries to pick up his pace, as he enters the warehouse. Many Guardian members notice him entering, and order him to halt. He holds up his hands high into the air, as he quickly throws a flash bomb down to the ground. The Guardians yell out in pain, as they are blinded for a moment.

Just then, the Mavericks burst down the walls, before attacking the Guardians. The thief scurries through the boxes of junk, hoping to run into the Live Metal. He pushes many boxes over, to see what lies inside. A wolf looking Maverick runs inside of the room. He is able to scan each box, without even touching the box in question. Quickly, he picks up on the Live Metal, which is nearby the thief.

Howling, he charges towards the box, as the thief grabs it. He knows that he has the Live Metal, for the wolf to be so eager to capture it. Large containers fall from the highest racks, providing some cover for the thief. But alas, the wolf slices right through the metal containers as if they were butter. The thief leaps on each container, as the wolf follows with his fury of slashes. Finally, the thief reaches the highest rack, as the wolf runs around, searching for a vantage point. The other Mavericks soon join him. Among them are a rabbit type, skunk type, and bear type. The bear steps forward. Armed with a great variety of weapons, he seems more calm than the rest. Cannons and machine guns mounted on the shoulders and arms. A massive green bear indeed.

"Little thief, come down here. Let us take that off your hands, before we rip them off of you." the bear shouts as the others chuckle.

"Loud mouthed bear, I have no intentions of letting you have this. I'm going to sell this on the Black Market, and live it rich with the snobs. If you want it, you'll have to buy it from the highest bidder." the thief smoothly replies.

"Little cur... You will regret the day you stole from us Mavericks! Kill the thief!" he orders. The rest are more than happy to carry out this order.

"Sorry, but I will have to take a rain check! Catch you guys later!" says the thief as he stretches his right arm towards an open area in the ceiling.

A small rocket fires from his wrist, then falls apart in mid air. A grappling hook, for the standard thief. It takes hold of something above, as the thief is pulled from the grasp of the Mavericks. They are not happy about losing such an important item. As planned, they plant several bombs within the warehouse. Minutes go by, before the sound of the explosion could be heard. The Guradians have showed up, but a little bit too late. They watch as the warehouse is in flames. In horror, the Guardian Commander Prairie wonders of the Live Metal.

In the deepest of the deepest area of a desert area, known as Area S to many others, the Mavericks arrive with bad news for their boss, Sonic Tiger. Standard tiger colors, with black armor on his shoulders, and knees. Even the jagged edges on his body could strike fear into his followers. He is sitting in a large chair, a throne if you will. He leans forward as they arrive. The base is somewhat large, with a secret entrance to the front. Hidden under a large rock, they have survived for many years without aid. The hallways are lighted by a dim bulb, in each passageway. The base is really a small ship, shot down into the sands of time. The rust and dirt have collected over the years.

"Well... where is the Live Metal? Did you finish your mission with little effort? Or were you beaten to the prize at the end of the game?" he growls. The bear steps forward once more, hanging his head in shame.

"We have failed you Sonic Tiger... the Thief beat us to the Live Metal. There was nothing we could do to stop him from fleeing." he says as the rest shrink back in terror.

"So not only did you fail, but you failed because of a human thief?! I should rip you all in two for this failure!!" he roars as he leaps out of his chair, slashing wildly at the others.

"Don't be so hard on them Tiger." a voice comes from behind Tiger. He stops, as does everyone look behind their leader. The thief steps out into the light, shocking everyone but Sonic Tiger.

"And why is that Alister? I sent them to get that Live Metal before you! They failed!" he says while walking back to his chair. He sits down, still growling a bit.

"Tiger! What is this thief doing here?! Why have you allowed a human to get within our base?!" the wolf howls.

"SILENCE!!" Tiger roars once more. The Mavericks shrink back once again.

"We only wish for you to explain Sonic Tiger sir!" the bird begs.

"It is time you knew... the only reason we have been able to raid the cities is not because of my own skills... but it is because of Alister here. He has been a spy for us, for many years now. Even though all of you don't like it, he is one of us! And you will treat him accordingly!" he shouts.

"It's true. I have been watching you all for many, many years now. That is how I was able to dodge most of your attacks. I am Alister... I have no last name... so Alister will do. Tiger, is this all you require of me for today?" Alister asks.

"Yes, return to the city, and report to me if anything new is found out. Watch out for those pesky Guardians little one." growls the tiger. Alister fades into the darkness, as the others watch.

"Master... it would seem you have a soft spot for this human Alister. Why should we still follow you?" the skunk speaks up. Tiger glares at him, but the skunk holds strong.

"Your words are always as true as you are Putrid Skunk. It is none of your concern, about the human. I will take care of him if needed. As far as you know, he is one of us, and our spy for future raids. That is enough on this subject. Go patrol the desert now." Sonic Tiger speaks as he stands from his chair. He walks past his followers, and into the hallway. The others talk among themselves after they make sure Tiger is gone.

"This Alister... does he still hold the Live Metal ZW?" asks the bird. More like an Eagle. White, with brown metal covering his body. Wings that spread out twice the length of his body. He stands at about seven feet even.

"It was not mentioned this whole time of meeting Alister. I am sure Sonic Tiger has it somehow Light Eagle." the skunk mentions. This Maverick stands at 6 feet even. But when walking or running, he is half that height. His tail is his main weapon. Armed with many gas bombs, and even some knives to throw in some kicks once in awhile. Normal skunk colors, but with an all black head.

"What are your thoughts on this, Heavy Grizzly?" asks the Eagle.

"I don't like it. Not at all... I don't trust the human as well. I don't care what Sonic Tiger says. What about you, Scope Wolf?" asks the bear. Cannons and such on his shoulders, a green color all around. He is more of a tank than a bear. Standing at a towering eight feet tall, he easily stands over the rest. He has shoulder pads that support the weapons, as he also has missile pods on his left and right leg. The wolf just growls, before leaving the room. Having very sharp claws, on his hands and feet. Standing at six feet and a half. His yellow eyes can search through your soul, if you were human. A metal tail that can be used as a whip at times.

"And you, Strike Rabbit?" Putrid Skunk asks.

"I'm with you all. I can't stand humans, and I will never get along with one." he replies. This rabbit is the smallest of the five. Four feet tall, and not very wide. His ears can detect any noise from a certain distance. A yellow and cream colored rabbit, he is also the fastest of the five. Short arms, but very powerful legs. He can use his puffy looking tail as a grenade that splits into lightning balls.

The five have agreed. They don't like Alister, and they will never accept him. They leave the matter alone for the time, and leave the room. Not finding Scope Wolf in sight, they figure he's already out patrolling. They pass by Sonic Tiger's room very fast, trying to avoid being scrap metal. Alister is long gone by now, but he has a follower now. Scope Wolf locked onto him, and is now tailing him. Alister sneaks into the city, by following the power line that supports the desert base.

Even Wolf did not know about this power line. A crack in the city walls, leads inside. Wolf plans to use this for future raids. He has to be careful entering the city with Alister. He won't fit in as well as Alister will. He puts his radar on full alert, and enters the city. He appears to be in a dark alley path. He can see Alister far ahead, who walks to the left. There is nothing by Alister on the radar, so he follows even further. Not even Wolf knows what he will do when he finally catches Alister. He will know when that times comes. When he turns the same corner that Alister did, he sees nothing. The thief must have taken to the rooftops. Something he was not about to do.

He once again locks onto Alister, and follows him from the alley's. Wolf is amazed at the agility of this human. A normal human should not be able to jump like that. He knows there is more to Alister and Sonic Tiger. Alister seems to be on ground now, moving fast. He must have known that Wolf was following. With a burst of speed, Wolf chases after him. A few moments later, he finds Alister walking inside of what looks like an alley bar. Curious, he peeks through the window to find Alister handing the man in charge, a bag of money. In return, the bar tender hands him a sack full of something. Wolf scans it to reveal food. While scanning, he finds the Live Metal hidden on Alister.

Alister says thanks to the man, then leaves with haste. Wolf continues to follow. Why does Alister still have the Live Metal on him? Maybe he really is going to sell it for millions of S-Crystals? The thief then stops at a very small home, near the end of the city limits. Wolf looks around, as this seems to be the poor area. Many homes that don't look much like homes. Pathetic looking homes in fact. Some don't even have a roof to provide cover in rain, or seal in the warmth at winter. Alister walks out with two kids on his shoulders. One boy, and the other the boy's sister. The mother follows after. Wolf sees that Alister was getting food for them. He watches them play for awhile, before finally Alister leaves them.

Wolf was going to make his move now, but he wasn't sure how. A bouncing ball suddenly lands in front of his feet. As if on cue, a little boy quickly follows after. He starts to cry as he spots Wolf. He takes the boy, in order to get to Alister. He runs off covering the boys screams. The thief is watching, and now very angry at Wolf. He drops down in his path.

"Scope Wolf. Why are you here, and why do you have that little boy?" questions an angry Alister.

"What will you do with that Live Metal? Do you plan on giving it to Sonic Tiger? Or will you sell it instead?" Wolf asks in return.

"You're a fool. I never wanted to sell this in the first place. Sonic Tiger wanted to make sure it wasn't used against him. So he told me to hold it for him, because he couldn't trust any of you. Now let the boy go. I'm clearly on your side." Alister returns.

"What if I don't want to? You know how us Mavericks think right? We love to destroy humans. Even little ones like this boy... care to stop me?" taunts Wolf. Alister clenches his right fist in rage. Wolf takes notice, then raises his right claw, getting ready to strike the boy. He slashes. But in shock, Alister catches his attack.

"Don't harm the boy! If you want to fight someone let it be me!" Alister shouts, struggling to keep him from attacking.

Wolf throws the boy behind him, in a boxed part of the alley. He can't get out, and much too afraid to try to run past the Maverick. Scope Wolf slashes towards Alister, but he dodges the attack. He back flips to avoid, then jumps forward with a kick. The wolf blocks with ease. Wolf goes for a grab, as Alister places his hands on the wolf, and flips over him. Landing behind him, he quickly slides under his legs as Wolf turns around. Confused, he finds himself hit from behind, slamming into an alley wall. In rage, Wolf turns around.

"You fight well for a human! But how can you handle a life on your hands?!" he roars before turning to the kid. The child is trapped, and very scared. Alister moves quickly. Wolf dashes to attack the boy, again, Alister stops the attack, but this time hurting himself.

"You can't win against me boy! I am pure metal! You're nothing but flesh and bones that I will crush! On the both of you!" the wolf howls. Alister struggles to keep the attack from the boy, but slowly failing.

"Why?! Why can't I protect anyone?! I couldn't protect my sister! Now I can't protect this boy! I just want to protect him!!" screams Alister. Suddenly a flash of light blinds Wolf, causing him to stagger backwards. The Live Metal that Alister was holding comes to life.

"Brave human... Do you really wish to protect this boy?" asks the Live Metal. It is a silver and black color, with a small silver scarf around the neck.

"Yes!" Alister replies. Even though he thinks he has lost it, because he is talking to a floating object.

"Then I will assist you. I am Model ZW, the eternal light that destroys evil." says Model ZW, before merging with Alister. Confused, Alister finds himself in much pain. The Live Metal is slowly transforming him.

His arms and legs begin to glow, as armor begins to appear on his body. Silver legs, with silver and black arm guards. His waist begins to glow, as does the rest of his body. Armored shoulder pads appear, followed by a black and silver chest plate. White gloves form onto his hands, and a helmet with what looks like a pair of silver wing appears over his forehead. A silver scarf appears around his neck, as the transformation is complete.

"Impossible! You used the power of the Live Metal!" Scope Wolf shouts.

He charges towards Alister, who is standing still at the moment. He goes for another slash, as Alister catches his attack again. The wolf pushes down with his might again. This time, Alister pushes him back, then follows with a forward kick. Then an uppercut. Followed then by a jump kick. Wolf staggers backwards, in much pain this time. Amazed by the power of a Live Metal. But still not willing to give up.

"You would betray us for the life of one boy? You traitor!!" shouts Wolf.

"I will do as I must to survive, and protect other humans!" replies Alister.

"Then you will die here and now!" Wolf yells as he charges once more.

"Alister, use the arm guards. Your arm slashers will aid you when in doubt." says Model ZW.

Alister can hear him inside of his head, as if he was another thought. Alister drops his arms to his sides, before the spikes on his arm guards suddenly move out of place, and move forward. Wolf jumps into the air, attempting to get even more of a leverage on Alister. Alister blocks, causing the arm slashers to go right through Wolf's stomach area. Shocked, he jumps off of Alister.

"You'll pay for this! I swear it!" he shouts while running off. They can hear him howl in the distance. Tired from the experience, Alister's form changes back to his original state.

"Whenever you need to call on my strength, call out the phrase, Rock On! That is the key phrase to unlocking your true potential! Your destiny!" Model ZW says as Alister takes the boy home.

At the desert base, Wolf staggers into Sonic Tiger's throne room, where the rest of the Mavericks turn around to see their ally damaged.

"Scope Wolf! Who has done this to you?" asks Sonic Tiger.

"It was your little friend... Alister! He used the powers of the Live Metal! I knew he was no good!" Wolf says as he struggles to stand.

"Repair him this instant Strike Rabbit!" shouts Tiger. They watch as Rabbit takes him into the other room.

"What now Sonic Tiger? Your little buddy almost destroyed Scope Wolf? Are you going to keep your word, and take out Alister?" questions the skunk. Sonic Tiger sits there for a moment, thinking about the situation.

"Kill Alister on sight... if we run into him in any future raids, he's a dead human. Is that understood?!" roars Tiger. The others shout in agreement.

End of the First Chapter.


	3. Chapter 2: Hunt For Alister

Rockman ZW  
Chapter 2: Hunt For Alister

The very next day after Alister used Model ZW, Sonic Tiger and his followers are moving towards the city, intending to find and kill Alister. But the thief is always going to be one step ahead of them. Alister is very cunning, and can normal sneak away without his enemies finding out about it. Sonic Tiger knows Alister however, and knows how he can think at times. The city its self is about to be changed in a way, that only Maverick's could cause.

Upon entering the city, the people begin slipping away, as they had never seen anyone that day. The Maverick's have no intention of harming humans on this day. Only Alister will fall this day, and pay for what he did to Scope Wolf. He leads the small group to the same spot where Alister defeated him.

"This is the spot? Where Alister defeated you?" asks Sonic Tiger.

"Yes." replies Wolf. "It was over before I knew it." he adds.

"Alister tricked you. I know him best, and this was a trap." speaks Tiger.

"What do you mean?" questions Heavy Grizzly.

"You claim that Alister had no idea you were here correct Wolf? That was all a trick. In fact, he knew you were there the entire time. Most likely the entire time you had followed him. You're such a fool. You let your emotions get the better of you." Sonic Tiger says as he looks towards the sky. Taking notice of Alister watching them.

"How did his awareness get that high? Most humans can barely hear a pin drop, let alone the step of Scope Wolf behind the alley." states Putrid Skunk.

"I trained him myself, to be that aware. I have only the best to use for my plans. Alister was even better than the rest of you pathetic Maverick's. In the end he stabbed me in the back." Sonic Tiger trails off while looking back at his followers.

"Model ZW, can I get close to them without being seen?" Alister asks.

"To the way of the ninja, it is very possible. Remember that a ninja must be one with the shadows at all times. As well as be aware of his or her foe." replies Model ZW.

"Is that a yes or no? Your response conflicts with its self." Alister responds with a stressed look on his face.

"So where do we begin looking for Alister then? Since you know him best, why not suggest a place to attack Sonic Tiger?" questions the rabbit Maverick.

"Look above you. Alister is watching us right now." speaks Tiger. The Maverick's look up, to see Alister taking off.

"I'll get him!" shouts Light Eagle. As he takes to the air, a net is thrown over his body forcing him back down to the ground.

"Alister is as cunning as a tiger. You must be on your guard at all times if we are to take him out! Understood?!" roars Sonic Tiger. The others nod, then go their separate paths.

"What now Model ZW? If they find me, they will try to kill me. If they don't find me, they will rip the city apart just to find me. Either way, someone may die. What should I do?" asks Alister.

"It is important to protect the humans, and make sure evil pays. That is the job of the eternal light. The one that will cut through the darkness, and purify the world is you. Only you know how to do this. Use your sense of justice and fight for what you believe in." replies Model ZW. The look on Alister's face couldn't describe what he was thinking at that moment.

"Okay... I'll do things my way then. The weakest of them all is Heavy Grizzly. You wouldn't think that by looking at him. But in fact, he has no close combat special skills at all. Easy to pick off." Alister thinks.

"It sounds like you know what to do. Then go do it." speaks Model ZW.

"I hate that you can hear my thoughts..." Alister mutters to himself.

He decides to jump across the gap between the two buildings, only to find Strike Rabbit running up the walls. Alister acts quickly to throw a sticky bomb in his path. Only Strike Rabbit is too fast to be hit, and passes the bombs with ease. The small rabbit jumps high into the air, and shoots bolts of electricity from his ears. The bolts rush towards Alister as he rolls to the side to avoid. But now Alister has Strike Rabbit where he wants him. In the air, he can't run around, or avoid attacks as easy. He quickly throws another sticky bomb at the rabbit. Hitting him this time, Rabbit falls down to the ground like Light Eagle did. The building starts to shake all of a sudden.

Scope Wolf leaps towards Alister from the alley. Alister was expecting him to sooner or later climb the building. He was preparing a grenade just for him. A chaff grenade would screw up his scope abilities. He hurls the grenade towards Wolf, who just laughs at the thought of him trying to harm a Maverick with a small grenade. Alister salutes him, before jumping off of the building. Scope Wolf begins his chase, but not before the grenade goes off. Scope Wolf is blinded for the moment.

Alister runs down the side of the building, shooting his wrist hook towards another building. It snags something, as he swings to the next building. The people below are surprised by this, and watch to see what is going on. Heavy Grizzly bursts through the wall of the building Alister was just on. As the people scatter, he begins to fire his machine guns, and missile pods. Alister releases the rope, as he dodges the shots fired at him in mid-air. Alister throws a flash bomb towards Heavy Grizzly, and blinds him temporarily. In a blind rage he begins to fire madly, damaging many homes and buildings in his path. Alister rushes the people to get to safety.

As soon as Alister pushes the last citizen to safety, he ducks. An acid shot hits the wall that would have been his head. He turns around to see Putrid Skunk starring him down. The skunk activates his acid blasters, which come from his arms. One shot after another, Alister avoids every shot. Annoying Skunk, he begins to shoot even faster. But Alister picks up his pace as well. Dodges in mid-air, and barrel rolls keeps him safe. It just so happens, that they are fighting in a market. Alister grabs a few oranges while dodging, then throws them towards Skunk. The oranges plug up his acid blasters, then back fire. Putrid Skunk flies back and crashes into the wall due to the explosion.

A somewhat large shockwave hits Alister, throwing him back into a stone wall. Alister looks up to see Sonic Tiger walking out of the alley. His armor is now spiked, which means he means to kill his old spy.

"Alister... I'm afraid this is the end for you. How could you betray us? After all I have done for you?!" Sonic Tiger questions.

"I did not attack first! It was your follower, Scope Wolf who attacked a young boy first! I stepped in to protect him! Wolf attacked me for protecting my own kind! Which I told you myself, that I would do!!" replies Alister, who stands up at that moment. Sonic Tiger glares at Scope Wolf, who is walking up behind him.

"I was not told of these matters. Nor of the boy who was attacked... But never the less... you attacked Scope Wolf, badly damaging him. This cannot be forgiven, nor will it be forgiven! I am sorry Alister... but prepare yourself!" roars Sonic Tiger.

"Rock on!" shouts Alister. Before Sonic Tiger's own eyes, Alister transforms.

"Amazing... Alister. Let's see how you fair against your own Master!" Sonic Tiger says as he charges. Slashing at Alister with his claws, as Alister counters with the arm slashers. Both of them knowing each others next move.

Sonic Tiger attacks with another shockwave. Alister jumps high into the air to avoid damage, then comes crashing down with a drop kick. Tiger guards, but slides back a bit. Alister follows up with many rapid punches, and a sabot kick. Sonic Tiger flinches at the slight pain that Alister is dealing towards him, and at the same time is impressed. The spikes on Tiger's shoulders begin to glow, letting Alister know that he is about to unleash his strongest attack. Alister begins to think of ways to avoid this attack, as there really is no way.

"Alister use the Zero Fade! It will give you the edge you need!" Model ZW speaks to him.

Sonic Tiger raises his arms, and prepares to strike. Even his claws are glowing now. Alister looks around to see what he could use to fight with, but nothing. Sonic Tiger slashes with both arms towards Alister, which unleashes a very large shockwave. Destroying buildings in its path, it rushes towards Alister, who is putting his faith in Model ZW. Before he knows what is going on, he is falling towards Sonic Tiger.

His arm slashers extend, then begin to glow as well. As soon as he is in range of Sonic Tiger's claws, Tiger slashes towards him. But Alister vanishes from his sight. He appears behind him, jumping off of the wall, and cutting Sonic Tiger's right arm off. As he roars out in pain, the others pick him up, and run off. Strike Rabbit picks him arm up, then leaves with them. As soon as Alister is sure that they are out of sight, and the city is out of danger, he transforms back. But there seems to be a problem, as he faints due to the strain from Zero Fade. He lies there blacked out, not knowing of who is watching him at the moment.

End of Chapter 2


	4. Chapter 3: City Guard

Rockman ZW  
Chapter 3: City Guard 

Alister wakes to a girl leaning over him. Startled by him waking, the girl jumps back, as Alister catches glimpse of her eyes. Eyes that seem to stop Alister dead in his tracks. Her eyes have the same color as Alister's, but a more sincere look to them. Much more comfort in them as well. But at the same time, these eyes have seen many battles. The girl looks a bit older than Alister, maybe by a year or so. She is wearing a tan colored robe at the moment, with a hood covering her head. Alister can make out red hair, that slightly covers her right eye. She stands straight up after jumping back. She holds her arms in an attack position, that Alister recognizes. The room is dark, with not that many objects in view. 

"Zero Stance? So you are prepared for anything I take it?" asks Alister, noticing his shirt is off, and across the room where the girl stands. 

"So you know of this stance?" she questions in return. Her voice seemed to echo into his head. Alister knew that he liked this girl, regardless of his current position. 

"You're left arm is slightly raised above your stomach area, while your right arm is lower to the right of that. If I attacked from above, you could block me. It would be the same if I were to attack from below. If I were to attack forward in a rush, you would use both arms to block with ease. I take it you're skilled in martial arts?" he asks looking into her eyes. 

"Yes that is correct. Now just who are you? What is your connection with those Maverick's that attacked you?" the girl asks. Alister lowers his head, at the thought. 

"Many years ago, I was with my sister at a Theme Park that was attacked in a raid. I watched as a young child as so many people were killed by rampaging Maverick's. My sister... she was one of the ones who was killed that day. The Maverick that killed her was Sonic Tiger... he was being attacked by Serpen's forces. I hate killing... even if it involves Maverick's. I stepped in to help Sonic Tiger, but the reploids fired anyways... not caring if a single boy was killed in the cross fire. Tiger saved me in return... and we escaped. He has taken care of me, and trained me up until a week ago, when one of his followers wrongfully attacked me. And here I am... without any place to go back to..." Alister explains as the girl watches his emotions. She could tell he was telling the truth by the way he acted. 

"So now he wants to kill you… correct? All because of a mistake?" the girl asks. 

"It would appear that way. Now I am all alone... like a thief should be..." replies Alister as he gets out of bed. The girl keeps an eye on him. He starts to laugh. 

"What is so funny?" the girl asks. 

"You really think I would attack someone who has shown me kindness out of their heart? I may have lived with the Maverick's, but I am not one of them..." he says as he grabs his shirt. 

"I still don't trust you..." she begins. 

"Alister. I have no last name, so Alister is just fine. It's rude of my host not to tell me what her name is." Alister smirks. She lowers her guard. 

"My name is Angeline." she answers. Alister smiles. 

"Well, your name is a lovely as you are." Alister speaks as he puts his shirt on, followed by his blue jean coat. Angeline blushes at his kind words, but snaps to. 

"You're not an ordinary thief. Your hands are strong and firm, as your legs are powerful and sturdy. You're more skilled than you let on." she says to Alister. 

"You're right. I could kill you in an instant if I wanted... but it is as I have said. I hate killing... If it has to be done, then it has to be done... You would think that a thief would not have trouble with it... But I am no ordinary thief." speaks Alister as he realizes something is missing. He searches his pockets inside of his blue jean coat, to find nothing. He grabs Angeline. 

"Where is it?! My... item is missing!" shouts Alister. 

"It's over there on that table. I took it out of your coat when I checked for wounds." she replies as she points towards the table. He releases her, then goes to grab Model ZW. He places it inside of his coat once again. 

"Thank you for your kindness Angeline. But if I stay any longer, I could be putting you in a lot of danger. I will see myself out." he says as he covers his face with his mask. As he opens the door to the outside, he turns back to give her a final glance. He can see pain in her eyes at the moment for some reason. At that moment he closes the door, and takes his mask off. 

"What... are you doing?" she questions. 

"I just don't feel right walking out on someone who has helped me. I want to help you with something before I leave you. Just name it and I can do it." he tells her. She gives him a look of insult. 

"You think that just because I'm a girl that I couldn't do it myself? Go ahead and leave! Get out of here!" yells Angeline as she swings the door open. The light shines in directly into Alister's face. He covers his face once again, then leaves. She slams the door behind him, then locks it tight. 

Alister is still planning to repay her in some way. He just did not know what it would be at the moment. While walking around, he takes a good look around to find out where he is exactly. He knows this part of the city, but not all that well. He had been here only once before, and it was to give someone money. The more damaged part of the city nevertheless, he watches as the poor kids run across the streets and into the alley ways. Playing with a stray dog looking for food. 

Alister reaches into his pocket, and takes out a small loaf of bread that he took from Angeline's table, and gives it to the dog. The kids are hungry as well, so he gives them the other loaf he had stashed away in his coat. Now he had no food to eat, and was getting hungry. His last fight drained most of his energy, so he was hungry to begin with. He turns around to see Angeline standing before him. 

"Why did you give those kids the bread you had? You could have easily just walked away." she states. Alister turns back around before turning his head. 

"I live by this rule Angeline. Give to others freely. One day that person will share with another, or give to another. Thus the pattern of kindness is given to another. Kindness is something that has to be given, not forced upon." he says before walking off, but turns his head again. 

"Something that you showed me by taking care of me. I will repay you one day." he adds as he disappears into the alley. 

His words seemed to have touched her heart. Never before has she met anyone like Alister. Normally someone like Alister would have just kept the bread for himself. Instead out of the kindness of his heart, he gave to the children what he needed. She runs into the alley in search of Alister, but could not find him. He had disappeared as quickly as the wind comes, then leaves... 

Running on the roof tops, the cool breeze soothes his sweaty body. A refreshing breeze, but he was still very hungry, and tired because of it. He goes for a jump across to another roof, but slips instead. He falls towards the ground at great speed. Before hitting the ground, he reaches for his grapple hook in his coat. It's not there, as panic races through his mind. Not much time to act, as Alister finally finds his grapple hook on the opposite side of his coat. Angeline must have been looking through his coat and placed it in the wrong place. 

He quickly throws it across to another building, and hooks it. He swings from it, grazing the ground heavily. He lets go of the rope, rolling across the ground before slamming into the stone wall of a home. Cuts and bruises now all across his body. Mostly on his exposed parts like his arms and face. Parts of his pants are torn and his legs are bleeding. He staggers to get up, while holding his left arm. In very much pain, he finds a dark alley with no exit to hide in. That way he can watch the outside world without anyone sneaking up on him. 

"What a day this is turning out to be... now all I need is some Maverick's to show up..." Alister says to himself. 

"Why do you need that? That does not sound like it would help anything Alister." speaks Model ZW. 

"Don't worry about it. I wasn't serious. I'd hate it if..." Alister starts as people run by in terror. 

"Alister, there is a disturbance." Model ZW says. 

"Oh joy... I did not need this right now..." he says while using the wall to stand up. 

As he walks out into the daylight, drones are attacking people. These drones are normally protecting the people, but something is wrong with them. Sparks are flying from their heads, as if they are malfunctioning. There is four in total, maybe more in another area. But all Alister knows is that he needs to stop them before someone is hurt... or even killed. These are drones from Serpen's remaining forces. 

Instantly he runs up to one of the drones, and tackles it. Not the best idea while being hurt already. Alister yells out in pain as he rolls off of the drone. It turns around not even phased by his attack, and fires its blaster. Alister rolls slowly, as the blast throws him into another wall. Angeline comes running up to see what is going on, to see Alister's blood covering a small part of the wall. He stands up, and reaches into his coat. She takes notice of that same item that he was so protective over. 

"Rock on!" shouts Alister as he is in pain. Transforming while in pain already, at the same time of being hungry is hurting him. Angeline watches in awe as he transforms to protect the people. 

The drones fire at the same time, as Alister jumps high enough into the air to avoid. Not as high as normal, but high enough. His arm slashers extend as he begins his assault. He attacks with his right arm, due to his left being in pain. He gets close enough to attack, then slashes through one drone. The drone next to that one grabs his left arm, and firmly grips. Pain races through Alister's nerves as he slices the drones arm off, then running it through with his right arm. He falls to the ground in much pain. 

"Alister!!" yells Angeline, not knowing that the drones have now targeted her. They run towards her while aiming. 

Alister looks up to see them running towards her. He has no strength left to give, but he has to save her life. He thinks about the Zero Fade... but in his state it could kill him. Last time it knocked him out, and drained him of his energy. If he were to use it in his state now... it could kill him. But he has a debt to repay. He quickly uses the rest of his energy to stand, then focuses. He disappears, then appears in front of Angeline. The drones get close enough for him to attack. He quickly spins around with the arm slashers extended. 

The two are cut in half, and fall over sparking. Alister grabs Angeline, then jumps into the alley. The explosion from the two combined race into the alley as Alister holds Angeline in his arms. He turns down another part of the alley as the flames rush past them. He places her down gently, before passing out still transformed. 

"Alister! Alister!!" cries Angeline.

End of Chapter 3


	5. Chapter 4: The Revolution

Rockman ZW  
Chapter 4: The Revolution 

Alister wakes again to find Angeline leaning over his face, only this time she is taking a warm rag off of his head, and replacing it with a cool one. Alister fades back into sleep after that. He wakes once more to see her resting in a chair next to him. While smiling, he again falls asleep. The next time he wakes, he sits up while looking around. Angeline walks through the door with a smile, carrying two paper bags full of items. The first smile he had seen on her face. 

"You're finally up I take it?" she asks while walking over to her table. She takes the robes hood off for the first time. Her hair is in a ponytail, with a decent length. She walks into the other room, before walking out in normal clothes. Wearing an orange shirt with white pants on. Her shoes are a red color, with white on the sides. 

"How long have I been asleep...?" questions Alister as he looks around, trying not to stare. 

"Two weeks..." she replies while taking out many of the items. This came to a bit of a shock to Alister. 

"Two weeks...?! Are you serious?!" he shouts. He jumps out of bed only to see Angeline turn around with a shocked face. 

"By the way you're kinda... not wearing anything..." she tells him while blushing. 

"Ahh!!" he yells as he jumps back into bed. "Why am I only wearing my underwear?!" he quickly questions. She turns around again to give him his clothes, then turns around to let him dress. 

"For the longest, you were in that strange form. Then all of a sudden you were normal again. But your body was too hot. So I started to take off your clothes to keep you from over heating. You finally cooled down last week. That is when you started to wake up every now and then. You had me worried for awhile." she explains as Alister puts his hand on her left shoulder. She turns around to see him dressed again. 

"It seems that I owe you again Angeline. Thank you for your kindness." he tells her. 

"If someone gives kindness they can give to another right?" she asks smiling. Alister chuckles. He puts his other hand on her right shoulder. 

"Angeline... you can't tell anyone of what you saw... it could cause me a lot of trouble..." he tells her. 

"I figured that. You saved those people from the rampaging drones. And me..." she speaks while looking away. Alister lets go of her, then sits down on the bed facing her. 

"Where is my Model ZW then?" Alister asks her. 

"It's on the table again... it just appeared on you after you returned back to normal. What is that thing...?" she asks. 

"I wish I knew..." he sighs. 

Then he tells her everything that happened that one fateful day he met Model ZW. How Scope Wolf attacked him, and he fought back with all of his might. Using the Model ZW to defend the boy. Then how he used the Model ZW to defend himself against Sonic Tiger. And how he found the Model ZW. 

"You're a hero Alister. You have been on all of the news channels since you beat those drones. Someone caught you on film, then gave it to the news media. They have been calling you the Black Rockman. Luckily I was able to take you away before anyone had a chance to get to you." she tells him before going into her kitchen. 

"Yet another reason for me to pay you back. The Black Rockman huh? That's a horrible name for me. Model ZW!" shouts Alister, as the Model floats towards him. He grabs it, then looks at it. 

"How did you do that?!" Angeline questions while returning with some food. 

"I have a connection with this thing. I can hear his voice in my head. Call me crazy if you want, but his knowledge is very valuable to me." Alister explains. 

"What is it Alister?" asks Model ZW. 

"Tell me... what does ZW stand for in Model ZW?" asks Alister. 

"I do not know. All I know is I am Model ZW, the eternal light that destroys evil." Model ZW tells Alister. 

"Right... thanks." he replies. 

Angeline sets the table for the two of them. Alister sits down while thinking. If this news got out to the news media, then what of Sonic Tiger? What if he comes back again to attack Alister? Angeline could be in a lot of danger, and he didn't want to think about that at the moment. So for now, he eats with Angeline. Even though it was just a sandwich, he very much enjoyed it with Angeline. He helps her clean up as well. Washing the dishes brought back memories of helping his sister doing the same. 

Dropping one of the dishes, it shatters on the floor below. Angeline rushes in from the other room to see what is wrong. Alister is standing there hiding his face. He didn't want her to see him cry. But just then, Angeline hugs him from behind, figuring it was because of his sister he was like this. She rests her head on his right shoulder, nearly crying herself.  
For that moment, Alister felt comfort. A comfort he has not felt in a very long time. Alister breaks it off before he loses it. 

"I'm going to go get some fresh air Angeline... I'll be back." he tells her while running out of the kitchen. She can see the tears rush off of his face as he rushes out the door, and into the world. 

"Alister... you have a lot of pain in your heart..." she sighs before cleaning up the broken dish pieces. 

Alister feels a bit sore from his fight two weeks ago, so he figures it's best not to scale the rooftops just yet. Even though this part of the city has the lowest form of technology, many people are still happy here. Merchants sell hardware in their stands, as well as the people that sell food. Alister can make out a very large crowd gathering in the distance. So he checks it out. Walking up to the crowd, he takes notice of a single man on a stand in the middle. A gangster looking guy. He's not talking however. Then a man climbs up on the stand in front of him, who is wearing a tan suit. 

"My fellow city dwellers! My name is Tyson Steller, President of Steller Inc. I am here today to say that these random Maverick attacks are getting out of hand! I am here to offer anyone who is willing to join a chance to help fight back! Our streets must stay safe so that our young ones have a place to grow up in peace!" Tyson shouts to the people. They give out cheers of agreement. Alister laughs to himself. 

"Another guy claiming to help the people. This guy is no different than Serpen." Alister says to himself. 

"What are you talking about? Serpen is a great man!" the person next to Alister tells him. Alister ignores him and goes to an alley nearby. 

He wall jumps to the top so he can get a clear view. He spots four drones guarding Tyson, as well as one human guard. He figures that is the one that controls the four drones. These drones look much different than the ones from two weeks ago. They are white with a backpack that has extra ammo inside. They have small green eyes with no face at all. Their arms have blasters on them, with normal looking hands. Their legs look well armored. 

"I don't trust this guy. There is something about that grin of his that I don't like." Alister thinks to himself. 

"If that is the case, why not go and ask him about it yourself?" Model ZW suggests. 

"You know, that's not a bad idea..." he replies. He backs up to create some distance from the view of the crowd and himself. He also looks around to see if anyone can see him. 

"I know what you are planning Alister. This is a little reckless isn't it?" asks Model ZW. 

"I'm not going down there to fight Model ZW. Just find out some things for myself. Rock on!" shouts Alister. After transforming, he stands in the sunlight with his arms crossed. His silver and black face mask will keep his identity safe. Finally someone takes notice of him standing there about fifteen minutes later. 

"Look! It's the Black Rockman from two weeks ago!" a woman shouts to the crowd. Everyone including Tyson look up to see Alister watching them. With his silver scarf flipping in the wind, he jumps down to the ground below. He then makes his way towards Tyson. The four drones get in front of Tyson, but he moves for them to let Alister through. 

"Well Black Rockman, I was hoping you'd show up." states Tyson.

"Oh yeah...? And why is that Tyson Steller? Going to offer me a job? Well I'm not interested. I want to know what you want here today, with all of these people. That is why I am here." states Alister. 

"I want what you want I would assume! To keep these people safe! You could help me with that Black Rockman... if you would join with me in the fight against these Maverick's... and those desert fools." Tyson tells him while putting his hand on his left shoulder. Alister looks Tyson's hand, then at Tyson himself. Basically telling him to back off. Tyson takes his hand off. 

"First of all I have no intentions of joining you and your men. You can sucker these good people into your lies, but I won't be taken so easy. Second of all, I will be watching your actions really closely Tyson. If you so much as make a move against these great people of this city, I will find you. Because these are my people, and I will do whatever it takes to protect them. Good day to you Steller." Alister tells him before walking off. 

"Wait! I'm not done talking with you! Drones grab him!!" shouts Tyson. In a flash, the drones are all on the ground cut to pieces. Alister turns to Tyson then points at him. 

"I will be watching you..." he says in the middle of the crowd. Then suddenly disappears. 

The people in the crowd search all around for him. But he's back in the alley already, as Alister again. He walks past the crowd, towards Angeline's place. As he enters, he takes notice of her holding her left hand. She cut herself on the dish that he dropped. He helps her clean the small cut, then wraps a cloth around it. He didn't want to tell her of what he did a few minutes ago, so he just helps her clean her home. 

Back at Steller Inc, Tyson bursts through the door to his main office, and sits down in his chair. The desk is full of papers and files about Model ZW. Even the background behind it. He searches through the files as a man walks up to him. The man that was controlling the drones. 

"Sir, we have recovered the security discs from your warehouse this afternoon. Some of the footage is messed up due to the explosion, but some parts remain." the man tells his boss. 

"Good. Give them to me now. I want to know what happened to the Live Metal that was stored there Timothy." Tyson tells him. He hands him the discs. One reads the exact date that the Live Metal was stolen. He watches as Alister takes it, then looks towards the Maverick's attacking. While flipping in the air, Tyson freezes the image, then takes a screenshot. He prints the image then hands it to Timothy. 

"I want to know who that thief is as soon as possible. If he wants to make my life a pain, I am going to make his life a living hell." Tyson says handing him the image. Timothy walks out of the room as Tyson stands up, and looks out of the window. 

"Nobody threatens me and gets away with it. Not this thief, or even you Black Rockman." he says to himself. 

End of Chapter 4


	6. Chapter 5: Infiltration of Steller Inc

Rockman ZW  
Chapter 5: Infiltration of Steller Inc. 

Tyson walks back and forth in his office, eagerly waiting for the results of the thief. Pacing back and forth, he grits his teeth at the thought of the Black Rockman watching him. It's night time in the city, and all are quiet. The papers on his desk mean nothing if he does not have Model ZW in his possession. As he sits down at his desk, he watches the security disc once more. He pauses the footage at Alister jumping in mid air. He studies it minute after minute. Finally Timothy walks in with some paperwork inside of a folder. 

"Sir, these are the files on this thief. Not much was found on him." reports Timothy as he hands over the files. 

Tyson flips through the files and finds a single picture. It's Alister walking in the crowd from the day before. One of Tyson's guards took a picture of him leaving the alley. 

"So this is Black Rockman. No name found in the records, let alone the Guardian records. Seems like this guy has been spotted near an Angeline's home...? Timothy find out what you can about this Angeline for me." Tyson says as he places the folder down on his desk. Timothy smirks, then hands him another folder full of Angeline's information. 

"Already done sir. This one is very interesting. Seems she has been taking care of this thief for nearly three weeks now. I have some men watching her home now, and they will report directly to you if they see him leaving the house." Timothy tells him. 

"Very good work. I want to scare this thief a bit. So the next time he leaves her house, go inside and shake the girl up a bit. But don't hurt her. We don't need any form of the police on our case. Also have your men take photo's of this thief. I want a full album from them." Tyson speaks before turning his chair towards the window. 

"Yes sir. I'll go find someone for the job right now." Timothy says as he leaves the office. 

At Angeline's, Alister is talking with Angeline when there is a knock at her door. Alister goes to hide in the kitchen, as she opens the door. A friend of hers needing help. She lets her friend in, and tells Alister it's ok to come out. 

"So this is Alister. It's nice to finally meet you." says a man extending his hand to Alister. He shakes hands with him. 

"Who is this Angeline?" asks Alister. The man has black hair, with brown eyes. His hair is kind of short, as it goes over his ears, and brushed back a bit. He wears a green shirt with straps near the shoulders. But they don't connect to anything, just there for looks. He wears tan pants with green shoes. 

"This is Jake. He's an old friend of mine who has helped me a lot in the past. Would you mind helping him Alister? I need to clean up the house anyways." she tells him. 

Alister agrees to help, and leaves with Jake. There are two men on the rooftop across the street from Angeline's home. Both of them wearing black suits. One has black hair while the other has brown hair. Both with short hair. They take pictures of Alister leaving with Jake, and call their boss. 

"Tyson sir, the thief just left the girls home with some guy." he reports. 

"Good. Get those men in there right now." Tyson commands before hanging up. The man calls the hired help, as they prepare the watch from afar. But just then, Alister appears in front of them. Right in front of them. With his mask on of course. 

"Evening you two. Enjoying the sites?" Alister smartly asks as he stands on the ledge with his arms crossed. 

"How did you find us?!" one panics. 

"It wasn't that hard. I spotted you two as soon as I left the house. Now the question is... who do you work for?" questions Alister. The other man speaks up. 

"You punk! Like we would tell you anything! Our boss would kill us!" the other man shouts. 

"So I take it Tyson can't do things himself? Or are you two just setup as decoys?" Alister asks as he looks back towards the house. He spots two men sneaking into the home where Angeline is. 

"You better get back to help her, or she could die." one man says to him. 

"Nah. I think those two are in for a world of hurt though. You should consider calling them back." Alister suggests. Down below, they can hear items breaking, and Angeline's voice screaming. 

"You see? They have gotten her now!" the men tell Alister. He turns to see the two men running out of the house, holding their arms, and one is limping. The two men on the roof are shocked. 

"You see? Now I think you better go back to Tyson, your boss, and tell him not to mess with me or the girl again. Or I will personally visit him in whatever building he's hiding in." Alister tells them before they run off towards the ladder. Alister jumps back down to the ground, and runs back towards where he left Jake. Which was around the corner. Jake is standing near an alley while the two men run past him. 

"Alright, what did you want help with Jake?" Alister asks as he walks with Jake. A few hours pass, as Alister walks in Angeline's front door. He takes notice of her cleaning up a very large mess. Her table is broken in half, the bed also broken and smashed into pieces. Also some blood on the floor. 

"Angeline are you alright? What happened here??" questions Alister, seeming alarmed. 

"Two men came in right after you left, and told me to get in the back. I refused so they attacked me. I fought them off, then they left. I have been cleaning since then..." she says while sweeping. 

Alister knew she would be just fine. But still, he didn't like the idea of Tyson doing this. He helps her clean up a bit. He gets down on the ground to pick up the wood from the bed and table. Angeline does the same. They both come across the same broken piece of wood, and touch each others hand. Angeline jerks back while looking to the side, then stands up. Alister just chuckles to himself. 

He piles the wood next to the door, then cleans up the blood on the floor. The men were not bleeding though. Alister walks into the kitchen where he finds Angeline washing her arm with warm water. He also takes notice of the cut on her arm. The men must have gotten her with a knife or something sharp. 

Alister then leaves the house, heading towards Steller Inc. He knows Tyson was behind this, and he wanted to scare him back for sure. He wall climbs the ladder the two men came down, and takes a look around. He knows that he will have to head towards the high tech part of the city. 

Of course he knows how to get there. The low tech part of the city, and the high tech part are separated from each other, by a large wall. The rich people don't care to live with the poor. It makes Alister sick just by thinking about it. 

He quickly takes to the rooftops, and heads towards the large wall. He knows his way to this place well. So he then heads towards that wall. Security guards keep people without passes from entering the rich part of the city. Alister figures that he will have to somehow climb over the wall. 

But he has done it before many times. He quietly throws his grapple hook to the top of the wall, then climbs up the wall. The guards hear the steps, and look towards the top part of the wall to see nothing. They continue on their patrol. 

Alister knows that if he was to keep out of trouble, he would need to get some new clothes. He slides down the side of the wall, then jumps to the top of a small building. He knows of someone who can help him this night. He makes his way to a place that sells new clothes nearby. 

He walks inside, as the man owning the place takes notice of him. The man is wearing a white suit, with black dress shoes. Blonde hair that reaches above his ears, and green eyes. 

"A-Alister...?! Attention everyone! This place is now closed for the night!" the man shouts to everyone. The people inside complain before leaving. Alister walks up to the man. 

"You couldn't have been more obvious could you Gin?" asks Alister. 

"I wasn't expecting you, that's all. It would be bad for people to see you in my store… What do you need Alister?" Gin asks him. 

"I need that favor you promised me when I saved you awhile back. I need some clothes to fit in here for about a night." Alister tells him. 

"I see... Well I know what I could give you. It's on the house, since you did save me from those thugs." Gin says as he leads him to the back. 

The back room is full of clothes for Alister have. But Gin has something in mind for him. He gives him a pair of tan dress pants, white buttoned shirt, with a tan vest. Black dress shoes as well. Alister doesn't care for the clothes, but knows he will have to put them on to get through the city. 

"Thanks Gin. I need one last favor of you. Do you know where Steller Inc is by any chance?" questions Alister as he buttons his shirt up. 

"Yes I do... it's the tallest building in the city. Right in the middle of everything. The President of the place destroyed a lot of homes to get that huge building built there. If you have something against the place try getting into the vents. You're set after that." mentions Gin. 

"Thanks Gin. Your favor to me ends here. I doubt you'll ever see me again, so goodbye." Alister says as Gin places Alister's old clothes in a bag. Then closes it tight for him. He hands the bag to Alister before walking him out. Alister then turns around. 

"Wait a second... if you don't mind, I'd like to add to that favor..." Alister tells him. 

"Anything." Gin replies as they go back in. 

Half an hour later, Alister leaves the place with two bags instead of one. He makes his way to the middle of the city. People give him a glance as he walks by. But nothing that would raise any attention towards him. He holds the two bags over his right shoulder as he walks. He asks people the directions to the Steller Inc building, posing as someone of business. 

He finally finds the place, and figured there would be guards watching for him. So he does find a vent in the back near a large wall. Seems like Tyson doesn't like to mix with other people. The vent is up high, and he would have to climb to get to it. 

He looks around to see if anyone is watching, then throws his grapple hook at the vent. He pulls, as the vent comes crashing down. He quickly grabs it, then wall jumps to the open area. He climbs inside, and places the vent back in place. 

Turning around, the vents are huge. He knows not to make much noise crawling through the vents, or make it seem like the god of thunder was invading their vents. To avoid making noise, he slides through the vents. Looking for Tyson, he finds many rooms filled with weapons and such. 

Alister finds office rooms that are empty. He continues to slide across the vents, looking for Tyson. He calmly climbs up the vents, figuring Tyson's office is at the top. Several minutes have gone by, as Alister finds a large office with many papers on the desk. He wonders if this is the room he has been looking for. 

Just then, he spots Tyson walk through the office doors. Bingo. He's found his office. He waits for him to sit down, then transforms into Black Rockman. After that he opens the vent to his office, and sneaks up to his desk. Luckily the blinds are down, so his reflection can't be seen in the window. 

He waits for Tyson to turn around. But while he waits, he takes a look at his desk. He finds something that catches his eye. The entire background on Model ZW. Just then Tyson turns around, just about to have a heart attack. 

"Black Rockman!! How dare you invade my office!" yells Tyson. Alister walks closer to his desk, and puts his hands on Tyson's desk. 

"How dare you attack one of my friends, Tyson. I don't respond well to that. You're crooked, and I won't stop until I find out what you're crooked with. I've already seen the rooms full of weapons, which are well beyond illegal I would take it." says Alister. 

"Hm hm... You're right... But how can you prove anything? All you have is your word. And the last time I checked, the word of a thief is not worth much at all." Tyson replies back. 

"What is it you want Tyson? You hurt a good friend of mine tonight. So tell me why should I listen to anything you have to say?" questions Alister. Tyson stands up, then opens his blinds. He looks out of the window. 

"I could use someone like you among my ranks Black Rockman. Why not just join me? I can make it worth everything to you." Tyson offers with a smile. 

"No." Alister quickly replies. Tyson turns around showing a shocked face. 

"Why is that? I could make you rich Black Rockman!" Tyson exclaims. 

"It's simple. I don't need your money, if I can just as easily steal it from you." Alister says holding up Tyson's wallet. Tyson searches through his pockets as he cannot find his wallet. 

"Very swift. I want you to consider my offer, please. If you don't, bad things could happen to the girl." Tyson threatens. Alister walks up close to Tyson, scaring him. He grabs his shirt and holds him up high above the floor, scaring him even further. 

"I warn you Tyson... if you so much as harm another hair on her body... I will personally deal with you, and your crooked business. That is a promise Tyson Steller." Alister says as he puts Tyson down. He dusts Tyson's shirt off, and fixes his collar. 

"You'll be very sorry if you don't thief. You really need to consider!" yells Tyson as Alister jumps into the vents. He disappeared as soon as he appeared. Soon after, Timothy enters the room smirking. Tyson turns to him. 

"Did you get it?" he asks Timothy. 

"Yes we did. By tomorrow morning, we'll have what this thief looks like. Our cameras went right through his armor." he replies. 

"Good. He's becoming a problem. Ease off of the girl. We want Black Rockman to think we have given him some room to breathe." Tyson tells Timothy. 

Alister returns after hours at Angeline's. She's sitting on her new chair, at her new table, with a cloth over the top. 

"Alister! Some guy named Gin came while you were gone! He gave me all of this free furniture! They also cleaned up the place for me, and replaced the bed that was broken by those thugs!" she exclaims with much excitement. Alister can see the glitter in her eyes, as he walks in. 

"That was nice of him. Why did he do it?" asks Alister. She shrugs her shoulders. 

"I don't know. Where did you go anyways? You had me worried again... and what are you wearing...? You look so... handsome..." she says while looking away. Alister gives her one of the paper bags. 

"Well then, if I look handsome, then you should look beautiful." he replies as she opens the paper bag. 

She starts to cry as she closes the bag again. Minutes later, she walks into the kitchen where Alister is waiting. He turns around to see a wonderful sight. There stands Angeline, wearing a sparkling white dress with see through gloves. No arm sleeves. She put her hair down just for the dress. Her white high heels tap across the floor as she walks up to Alister. 

"Alister... how do I look?" she quietly asks. Alister stands up, and walks over to her. He puts his hands on her shoulders. 

"Angeline, you look wonderful." he tells her. He can see the tears in her eyes, as she hugs him. 

"Thank you Alister... you know how to make a girl feel special." she tells him. 

They sit down to enjoy dinner. After that, Alister goes to sleep at the table. She figured he had a big night, so she puts a cover over him, and cleans up. Upon cleaning up, she finds the paper bag that he gave her. She was about to throw it away, before noticing the name on the paper bag. It says Gin's. She realizes that Alister was the one that got the furniture for her. At that moment, she folds the paper bag, and places it in a safe place. She would always remember this night. 

End of Chapter 5


	7. Chapter 6: Tyson's Plan

Rockman ZW  
Chapter 6: Tyson's Plan 

Watching the security camera's footage from the night before, Tyson finally finds out what this thief looks like under the armor. The footage shows him entering the room, in the clothes that Gin gave him. It was as if he never transformed. He takes numerous still images of Alister as he goes about the office. He notices that when Alister walks up to the desk, a file disappears. 

He puts the footage on slow, to see what happened. Very quickly, Alister stole the file right off of his desk. Tyson frantically searches through the files and papers on his desk to see what is missing. He slams his fists down as he realizes, Black Rockman took the background history on Model ZW. 

Alister is up early that morning. He wanted to read the file before Angeline woke. He sits down at the table, and opens the folder. Many papers inside, including stats on Model ZW. But one caught his eyes. The background of Model ZW. 

Putting the other papers aside, he begins to read the history. Created by Ciel, as well as gives a picture ID. He examines her face, hair, and eyes. He opens his eyes wide once he figures out, this was the same one that gave him and his sister the candy that one day at the Park. 

Reading further, he finds out that Model ZW wasn't a model to begin with. But in fact one of the Legendary Guardian's of Neo Arcadia, long forgotten. Most of the notes were written in an elegant way. 

He figured it was the creator of the Live Metal's that had written this. But how did Tyson get his hands on something this valuable? He figured he bought it with his vast amount of money. Reading further, he finds out that Model ZW's name is Zerowing. 

"Zerowing huh? So that must be what ZW stands for..." Alister mutters to himself. 

Zerowing was betrayed by his own Master, X. Although his Master was easily fooled by a man of great evil, named Weil. This man claimed to have brought back the Neo Arcadian leader, X. He then used that power that X gave him, to go through with his plans of taking control of the world. 

Zerowing was extremely loyal to X, and studied under Phantom, a fallen Guardian. Defeated by Zero, the Legendary Reploid. In Ciel's notes, she wrote that the real X, in his Elf form, brought Zerowing's body to her, and asked her give him an honorable death. 

She did not have the heart to destroy Zerowing. Instead, she put his systems on standby, which prevents any further damage. She then buried his body deep underground, until many years later, she opened the door to his room. Zero had died, to save the world. Stopping Weil took everything he had. 

His remains scattered across the world. Ciel would soon write in her notes that Zero's core, his heart, or his main function was found. She knew that if parts of Zero survived, so did Weil's. She then realized that he would be back one day. And without Zero to protect the world, there would need to be a new Hero. Maybe more than one... 

Her research with Cyber-Elves allowed her to create the Live Metal's. Each having the essence of their previous forms. Model X, with the essence of X. Model Z, with the essence of Zero. There were many more Model's in the notes, but Alister skipped those while looking for more information on Model ZW. 

Nothing else to read except the fact that Zerowing trained as a Ninja. Specializing in close combat. Also that Ciel's plan was to give children of the future what is needed to use the Live Metal's. He stops reading once Angeline wakes up. He quickly hides the files, before hiding them inside of the paper bag Gin gave him. 

"Morning Angeline. Sleep well?" asks Alister as she sits up. 

Tyson sits at his desk as Timothy walks back and forth in his office. Both of them trying to figure out a way to get Black Rockman to see things their way. Going through the papers once again on his desk, Tyson stands up to look out the window. He spots Black Rockman watching him from afar, with his arms crossed. With his scarf flipping in the wind, he jumps down. Stressed, Tyson closes the blinds to the window in a panic. He sits down in his chair again. 

"There is no way for that thief to see things my way. No way at all. It's time we attacked where he is most vulnerable. Set up the plan accordingly Timothy. Make sure there is no errors." Tyson speaks as he pours his expensive whine into a glass. Timothy leaves the room in a hurry, preparing the plan for Black Rockman's capture. 

Tyson grins at the thought of Black Rockman being captured, and tortured by his hands. A bit later, Timothy returns reporting that the plan in under way. Tyson nods, and tells his right hand man to personally attend to this plan, so that Black Rockman will perish for sure. Sipping from his whine, Tyson begins to laugh. Not at the fact that Model ZW will soon be in his grasp again, but the fact that this thief will finally pay. 

Alister is helping Angeline with her errands around the city. Buying her food and supplies for them to last another week. Alister catches view of the man that was guarding Tyson that one day. He sees that he is watching them. He tells Angeline to go home without him, then heads towards Timothy. He then traps him in an alley. 

"Who are you...? Why are you following me and my friend?" Alister questions. 

"Black Rockman... we know who you are." Timothy calmly speaks. Even though he was scared out of his mind. 

"What did you call me...?" asks a shocked Alister. Timothy shows him the photos of him entering Tyson's office. He's shocked to find out that his armor is missing in the pictures. 

"Come with me thief. Tyson wishes to speak with you in private. You sent your friend home without you, which was foolish. By now our men have already captured her, and are holding her captive. If you want to see her alive again, then you will do as we say. Is that understood?" asks Timothy. Alister was fueled with anger about then. Not only did Tyson finally out smart him, but because of his acts, Angeline was in danger. 

"Alright... I will follow you... but I warn you... if she is harmed, I will get you. Not your boss... but you!" threatens Alister. Timothy takes a deep breath, but still leads him to Tyson. 

Back at Angeline's, she is entering her house. She places the food and supplies on her table. She takes her robe off. In the middle of taking the robe off, three men rush her from behind. With her arms caught in the robe still, she is thrown to the ground. Her head slams against the ground, as they hold her down. She is knocked out cold. The men have a large bag prepared for her, and tie her up. They leave the house pretending to be cleaners. They greet people to seem like nothing happened. 

Alister is lead inside of a large room, with a single table with a chair on each side. Timothy sits down in front of him, so he assumes this is a trap, seeing as how Tyson was not there. But Angeline is still being held by their men. He hopes that she fought her way to safety, but he couldn't take that risk. 

Not until he knew she was safe. Alister sits down at the other side, as the two watch each other for a move. Timothy moves his hand inside of his suit to grab something. Alister watches him closely. He pulls out a folder, then slides it to Alister. Curious, he opens it to find nothing. 

"So what does this mean? It's empty." states Alister. 

"I know. That is what we know on you. For that matter that is what everyone knows about you. Your name is not even in the Police records. Even the Guardian's have no idea you live. You're not even alive to the world. So what we want to know, is how did someone like you, just so happen to come across our Model ZW?" questions Timothy. Alister smiles. 

"You mean my Model ZW?" he smartly asks in return. Timothy slams his right fist down on the table. 

"Don't get smart! That Model belongs to Steller Inc! You stole it from our warehouse!!" shouts Timothy. 

"Oh? So that was Tyson's warehouse? Now I am kinda glad it burned down. But that is rude of me. So tell me, what is your name?" Alister asks. 

"It's also rude not to introduce yourself first, mister thief." Timothy smarts back. 

"My name is... Zerowing." Alister says with a smile. 

"I'm Timothy, Tyson's..." he begins. 

"His right hand man, yeah I know. I also know that you have a wife, with a newborn child. A boy, and you're having trouble finding a name for him." Alister says as he watches the fear hit Timothy's face. 

"How did you know about my family?!" panics Timothy. Alister smirks. 

"Upon entering your bosses building, I found some computers in the many offices there. I figured you were Tyson's right hand man, since you were guarding him so close the first time I met your boss. It was simple to hack into the files, and take whatever data I needed." Alister explains to him. 

"I see... You also took an important file concerning Model ZW from Tyson's desk. He wants it back, and I would assume you have it on you?" asks Timothy as the light above them dims. 

"It's not on me. Sorry but I keep that file safe, where nobody will find it." replies Alister. 

"A shame. Your friend Angeline would know perhaps?" smiles Timothy as he asks. 

Alister glares at him for a moment, then shakes his head no. Timothy tells him that he will be back, then leaves the room. Soon after that, the room begins to shake. Alister knew this was coming, so he transforms into Black Rockman. He quickly punches kicks at the wall, cracking it. But soon after, a metal coated wall takes the place of the wall. As well as the other three sides. 

"You have to admit it Black Rockman, you're trapped like a rat! Not even the sharp slashers on your arms can cut through these metal walls! They have been coated with a special armor that can withstand your attacks! You will die here and now!" Timothy exclaims over a speaker under the table. 

"What about Angeline?! You let her go!" demands Alister as he assaults the wall. 

"She's going to die for your foolish acts..." Timothy tells him. 

"I promise that when I get out of this you and your boss will pay!" Alister shouts as he punches the wall. All he can hear is Timothy's laugh before he crushes the speaker. 

"Ragh! Agh!" shouts Alister as he continues to punch the wall. 

He clenches his fist as he realizes... He's trapped this time. The walls then begin to close in. He tries to push the wall back, but to no avail. He is being pushed towards his death every second, and Alister knows it. But he's not giving up. He continues to punch the wall, wearing himself out quickly. 

"Angeline... I'm sorry I couldn't save you. I guess in the end I wasn't much help to you..." speaks Alister as he pushes against the wall. 

End of Chapter 6


	8. Chapter 7: Phase Two of Tyson's Plan

Rockman ZW  
Chapter 7: Phase Two of Tyson's Plan 

As Alister franticly looks for a way out of his death, he cannot. The walls and ceiling begin to shake even more, as he rapidly punches the wall. 

"Model ZW! Can I Zero Fade out of here?" Alister panics. 

"The walls are coated with small amounts of radiation. Even if you were to get out, you would die from the poison." speaks Model ZW. He hangs his head in defeat. The walls have stopped moving all of a sudden, as Alister gets hope once again. He can hear something on the other side of the wall in front of him. 

"Shockwave!!" shouts a voice from behind. Alister knows to move back to avoid getting hit. As soon as he defends, a massive shockwave cuts through the wall in front of him. Before him walks in Sonic Tiger, as his claws stop glowing. 

"You still alive Alister? Or should I call you Black Rockman now my friend?" Tiger asks as he helps him up. 

"I was hoping you would get my message. I'm glad you showed up when you did, or I wouldn't be standing right now." says Alister as he dusts himself off. 

"Where is your friend being held at?" questions Sonic Tiger. 

"He wouldn't say. But I do know that there are creeps with her, and I have to save her!" says Alister as he leaves the room. Sonic Tiger follows. 

"Where are we heading to?" he asks while running along side him. 

"We? If you're not careful, your cover will be blown." states Alister. 

"An attempt on your life, is an attempt on mine as well. I'm going with you." replies Tiger. Alister nods. 

"I have an idea on where they took her, but it requires us heading into the rich part of the city. Are you ready to act fast?" Alister asks as they exit the building they were in. 

Not too far from the rich part. They travel along the rooftops, as if they were training together again. They arrive at the large wall cutting the two sides off from each other. Alister and Tiger both wall jump to the top of the wall, then slide down the other side. They stick to the shadows to avoid alarm. 

"I have a feeling she's being held inside of Tyson's building somewhere. If I can access their security cameras, I can find out if she's there or not!" Alister says as he looks towards Sonic Tiger. 

"One distraction coming up." he replies while his claws begin to glow. 

He rushes out into the street and begins to roar in front of the building. The people scream as he heads towards the Steller building. The security guards all exit the building, attempting to take Sonic Tiger out. Alister sneaks in as the guards pile onto Tiger. He looks around to see that everyone has hidden from the lone Maverick. 

He walks to the security guards main desk, and looks at the video screens. While pressing the rewind button on all video screens, he chuckles at Sonic Tiger having some fun outside. While rewinding the videos, he finds that two men dressed up as cleaners are walking towards the elevator. They go inside, and the doors close. He watches the other screens as they appear on the basement floor. 

A likely place for two hired helpers to take their victim. They walk down stairs that are hidden behind a bookcase. Alister knows where he must go now. He takes notice that one of the cameras is missing, as a single video screen is blank. 

Curious about that one screen, he presses the record button for that one screen, and leaves it. He signals for Sonic Tiger to follow him after losing the guards. He throws the guards off of him, then dashes inside without being seen. The guards look around wondering where he went. Tiger moved too fast for them to see. 

"She's got to be in the basement of this building! I am sure of it!" speaks Alister as they speed towards the elevator. 

As soon as they get near it, the doors open. They panic. A man in a grey suit walks out, with some paper work in his left hand. He's reading while walking towards the exit. Sonic Tiger and Alister are right above the elevator doors. They quickly sneak inside, and press the basement button. 

The head security guard goes back to his post soon after that, not taking notice to the cameras being offline. They arrive at the basement, which is pretty small for a building of this size. Alister finds the bookcase, and begins to remove books. 

"What are you doing? We didn't come here to read!" snaps Tiger. 

"One of these opens this bookcase! Help me find the right one!" Alister snaps back. 

Tiger scratches his head while leaning on a single book. That opens the passage way. Alister runs down the stairs, almost slipping on a trail of blood. He's scared now. What have they done to her? He peeks around the corner to find a security camera. Most likely the one that has been turned off this entire time. 

He searches around some more to find trails of blood leading to a single door in the back. Many thoughts race through his mind at that moment. Is she ok? Is she alive? He reaches to open the door, only to find it locked. Getting angry, he busts the door open. He looks around to realize his fears. His eyes open wide as he looks upon Angeline, tied to a chair. He clothes are cut and slashed in many areas. Her arms and legs are bleeding, as is her face due to being beaten. 

From what the trails of blood look like, she tried to get away, but they dragged her back. She manages to briefly look up at him, then hangs her head again. Alister rushes to her aid, and unties her. She falls forward, as Tiger catches her. Alister clenches his fists, before looking at Sonic Tiger with tears in his eyes. Tiger was shocked by this. Never before has he seen this emotion from Alister. Not since that one day at the park… 

"Tiger, I beg of you. Take care of her. Make sure she is safe until I get back." Alister says before walking past him. 

"What are you going to do Alister?" Tiger questions, knowing the answer already. 

"To have a talk." he states before leaving the room. Sonic Tiger nods, hoping he won't do anything wrong. 

He leaves the building with Angeline in his arms. Thankfully, Alister was causing enough trouble for him to escape without being seen. Alister is walking down the hallway towards Tyson's office, as Black Rockman. The guards fire their guns, hoping to stop him. 

But he's too fast for them. He quickly rushes up to them, and bashes them on the head, knocking them out. He stops in front of Tyson's doors. With his arm slashers extend, he slices through the thick doors. They fall to the ground as Tyson looks back behind him, knowing who it is. 

"Tyson!!" screams Alister as the rage in his voice could clearly be felt.

Tyson turns around to see Alister right in his face. Alister grabs him by his neck collar, and throws him across the room. Before Tyson could get up, Alister is already in front of him, and throws him towards his desk. Tyson staggers to get up, before wiping blood from his mouth. 

"Is there something I can do for you Black Rockman?" Tyson asks with a smug look on his face. This only acts to make Alister even more angry than he already is. 

"How dare you! Angeline NEVER hurt you! Why did you have your men take her, and beat her?! WHY?! Answer me Tyson!" shouts Alister. 

"I don't know what you're talking about Rockman. I had nothing to do with that." he says turning around. Alister appears right behind him, with his right arm slasher right up to Tyson's throat. 

"Why did you do such a thing?! She had nothing to do with us!" Alister shouts in his ear. Tyson laughs. 

"Of course she had nothing to do with this! She was only a decoy! She worked really well too… everyone in this city now knows that you have tried to kill me tonight. Take a look at that camera in the corner." Tyson says pointing towards it. Alister turns around to see the camera, with the red blinking light showing that it's showing live footage. 

"No…" Alister thinks to himself. Just then, many guards run into the room, and begin to fire at Alister. He smashes the glass window open, then jumps out. He soon disappears after that. 

"Mr. Tyson sir! Are you alright?" one guard asks him. 

"Of course I'm not alright! That guy just tried to kill me!!" Tyson shouts at him. "Have him arrested and put on trial!" he adds after that. The men leave the room, and contact the Guardian's. Black Rockman is now a criminal. 

End of Chapter 7


	9. Chapter 8: Clash of The Metals!

Rockman ZW  
Chapter 8: Clash of The Metals! 

It has been one week since Alister was made out to be a criminal. Tyson provided the Guardian's, and the local police force with Alister's pictures. His face is now on every window, every door, and even on some vehicles. Alister has been hunted down before, but not quite like this. Everywhere he goes, every contact he's ever known in the city walls has been notified. If they make contact with Alister, they are to be put in jail. 

Alister can't leave the city walls either. Many tanks and gun turrets have been set up around the walls. If he was to take one step out, they would open fire. He's trapped. Trapped like he's never been trapped before. He wants to avoid killing. But can he do that at this time? 

High above Tech City, hovers a large airship. It has been there for two days now without moving, or anything leaving. Alister has been keeping a very close eye on it, from a safe distance. 

One day, he takes notice of a small aircraft leaving the large air born base. He has barely eaten anything in the last week. Stealing food while running from the police will only take him so far. 

The aircraft lands on top of Tyson's building. As it powers down, a single figure exits. Tyson's right hand man is there to greet him. Inside, the figure walks into Tyson's office, and shakes hands with him. 

"It's good that you have finally come, Guardian member." he greets. 

"Show me the video that was taken in this office." he bluntly replies. Tyson gives him a look, before pulling out a remote. It controls the screens actions to their left. The figure watches as Alister enters the room in a rage. 

"This thief is very dangerous. He can't be taken lightly." speaks Tyson. They can almost hear what Alister is saying. 

"Turn it up louder." the person tells him. Tyson huffs, but turns up the volume. He can hear Alister go on about a girl. Tyson then turns the video off, making the person a bit angry. 

"Enough video. How do you plan to take care of him?" questions Tyson as he sits down in his seat. 

"I have my own ways. I'll be in touch Tyson." he says before walking out of the room. Tyson throws the remote at the door, smashing it into bits. 

"What a rude member of Guardian!" he mutters to himself. 

Alister soon finds himself hiding from another routine patrol in the alley. He's running out of places to hide now. It will be soon, for his capture. He can't help but think… how is Angeline doing? Is she still alive? These thoughts are what keeps him going. To see her face, and hear her voice once more. 

Just then, he can hear screaming. He looks out to the streets to find a boy running from patrol droids. Alister figures he had better leave him alone. If he was to be seen with him, it would make things even worse. The boy with brown hair trips and falls. 

His face smashing into the ground, made Alister stand to his feet, and rush out to save him. Quickly, he spin kicks the front two droids, throwing them back into the duo behind them. He nearly loses his balance due to fatigue. The boy helps him get to a dark alley. 

"Thanks… you really saved me back there." the boy tells him. 

"I think we're even…" Alister replies while holding his head. He makes sure that they are out of danger, then lies down to rest. 

"Are you sure it's safe to lie here? They could be coming back!" the boy says to him. 

"I don't really care at this point." Alister replies. The boy is surprised. 

"What do you mean...? What is your story anyways?" the boy asks, while sitting down next to him. 

"You don't need to worry about me. Why were those droids after you?" Alister questions in return. 

"To be honest, I was hungry, and I didn't have money… so I…" he starts. Alister stops him in the middle of his sentence. 

"I understand. It can be really hard for someone to live on the streets around here. My name is Alister. I have no last name, so Alister is fine." he tells the boy. He looks at him for a second. Green eyes, blue vest almost like his own, but without the jean part. White pants with black boots. 

"You can call me… Vent." he says as they shake hands. 

Alister leads him to his temporary hideout, and rests. It's hidden inside of a destroyed building, packed full of rats, bugs, and many other disturbing items. It's dark, and the only light is from above in the roof. Alister has a loaf of bread, and a bucket full of rain water beside him. 

"Make yourself at home. Or whatever this place is. It's a safe place to hide for the moment anyways. Hungry?" he asks Vent. 

"You'd give me your last bit of food?" he asks. 

"Why not? You said so yourself, that you were stealing food when you were caught right?" Alister questions back. Vent nods, then takes the half that Alister has given him. They eat, Vent doesn't seem to like the bread as much as Alister. 

"Kind of stale…" Vent mentions. Alister laughs. 

"To someone who hasn't eaten in well over a week, this tastes pretty darn good!" he says while taking another bite. 

Vent smiles, then continues to eat his own. Soon after eating, Alister has fallen asleep. Vent watches him closely, then falls asleep himself. As soon as he's asleep, Alister chuckles at Vent, then goes back to sleep. 

Morning has come, and the light shines inside of the area they are resting in, and wakes them both up. Alister splashes a bit of the water on his face, then takes a handful of water to drink. Vent does the same. 

They leave the building together, and move around the alleyways. Alister is very much impressed with Vent. He can keep up with him with ease. This also makes him question who he is. They both wall jump to the top of a high building. They spot flying scout droids right in front of them. One turns to Vent. 

"Guardian member, Tyson wishes to know when you will bring in the criminal Alister." the droid tells him. 

"Why that… it's only been a day, and he already expects me to catch him?" Vent asks himself before turning to Alister. 

"What's going on Vent? Just who are you really?" Alister asks him. 

"My name is Vent, that much is true. I am part of Guardian, as an elite member. My mission is to bring you in to justice for what you have done. Are you going to come quiet? Or do I have to make you come with me?" Vent asks. 

"I trusted you, shared my only meal with you, and gave you a place to sleep for the night… this is how you repay my kindness?" Alister asks him in return. Vent couldn't say anything. He's doing the right thing… right? 

"Alister… just come along without a fight." Vent suggests. Alister shakes his head. 

"Not this time. I have been pushed around this past week and a half. The week before that, my friend was hurt… she did nothing and was hurt because of it!! I will not forgive Tyson for what he has done to her! Rock… ON!!" shouts Alister as he transforms in front of Vent. 

"Is that what he was going on about in the video? This anger I feel from him… no… this sadness… this is a heart that is crying out for the one he truly cares about…" Vent thinks to himself. "I still have my mission Alister. Rock on!" Vent adds to that. He transforms into Model ZX. Alister did not know there were other people in the world that could do this besides himself. 

"Droids. Go back to Tyson, and tell him I will be back shortly." Vent says to them as they fly off in a hurry. 

"You sure that is how the fight will end?" asks a tired Alister who gives him a smirk.

"Your body is weak from all of the running around this past week. Can you possibly keep up that transformation for very long?" Vent asks him. He was right, but Alister did not want to admit defeat yet. 

"Don't count me out before I have even started VENT!!" Alister yells as he charges Vent. He extends his arm slashers, while slashing wildly. He is very tired, and his attacks prove it. But Vent still plans on going full force. 

Vent counters with a solid punch to Alister's face. He staggers backwards a few steps, then regains his stance. The buildings rooftop is large enough for him and his speed. He takes off running around Vent. He nearly trips many times, but keeps up his pace. 

Vent fires many rounds at Alister. Each time barely avoiding the shots. Vent extends his Saber, and begins his rapid attack on Alister. He uses the arm slashers to block. Vent attacks even harder, knocking Alister back again. He falls to the ground this time, struggling to stand to his feet. But he does, and Vent admires this. 

Vent decides to use another form, as he transforms into Model FX. He begins another rapid assault on Alister. This time the attacks are much stronger, and more accurate. Alister barely dodges his attacks. Alister slides under Vent to attack from behind. Vent quickly unleashes a powerful aura, that throws Alister to the edge of the building. He rolls off and grabs the ledge. Vent transforms into Model X, and walks up to him while holding his buster cannon towards him. 

"I see… so this is what you're able to do while your body is against you. My mission is at its end. Going to come in easy now?" Vent asks him again, giving him one more chance. 

"N-Never… not… a chance!" he struggles to speak. 

Vent charges up his buster gun. Before firing, an image of a reploid flashes inside of his head. It looks the same as Alister does. He then stops the charge as Alister loses consciousness, and falls. Vent acts quickly, and jumps towards him. Alister wakes a moment later to see Vent as Model PX, holding him above the ground. He's latched on to the wall with a claw. He blacks out once again as Vent places him down gently. Alister transforms back to normal. 

"Guardian Head Quarters! This is Vent! Come in!" Vent speaks into the com. 

He explains everything that has happened, as well as his fight with Alister. They send him another aircraft right away, and places Alister inside. He follows soon after in the aircraft atop Tyson's building. He left with out reporting to Tyson. Vent has in mind what the next goal will be. But he has to wait for Alister to get healthy once again. 

End of Chapter 8


	10. Chapter 9: The Fall of Steller Inc

Rockman ZW  
Chapter 9: The Fall of Steller Inc. 

Alister wakes to the feeling of a stiff bed underneath him. He's lying on his stomach, with his arm hanging over the small bed. He raises his head a bit to see that he's inside of a small room, with bars going across behind him. He's in jail, and he knows it. A toilet hidden behind a small wall, and a sink next to that wall. He sits up, while holding his head. 

He recalls the fight with Vent, as his eyes open wide. He searches his jacket, and pockets for Model ZW. It's missing for sure. No doubt Tyson has it, and is trying to unlock its secrets. Just then, he can hear steps from behind the bars. 

"Well, it looks like you're awake" says a voice from behind the bars. Alister looks up to see Vent looking at him. Alister has a cold look in his eyes, but stands to his feet. 

"What do you want? You've already screwed up my life. What more do you want to do?" snaps Alister. 

"Come with me. Someone would like to meet with you." says Vent as he opens the cell door. Alister hesitates, but follows behind Vent. 

"You do realize I could escape at anytime correct?" Alister asks with a smile. 

"If you do, I will just catch you again. Simple." replies Vent as he walks into the elevator. Alister grits his teeth, but still follows. The elevator goes up, and stops after passing three floors. Vent walks out, as Alister follows. Many of the workers there keep an eye on him, watching him very close. 

Vent opens another door, that leads to what seems to be the command bridge. Very large, with people on chairs that are hovering above him. They seem to be working with visual computers. As well as two more under them working on the same. A larger chair in the middle turns around. A girl with blonde hair gets out of the seat, and walks up to Vent. 

"Thanks for bringing him to me Vent." she says looking at him. 

"You're welcome Praire." he replies with a smile. She looks at Alister for awhile, before extending her hand to him. 

"My name is Praire. I lead the Guardian's." she greets. Alister shakes her hand, still looking around. 

"Why am I here? Why am I not in the hands of that Tyson?" asks Alister. 

"Because, we want to hear your side of the story before I make any choice like that. So tell me… what was going on in this video?" Praire asks as a screen appears behind them. 

Alister watches as he charges Tyson in his office, and throws him across the room twice. Watching that video made him think of Angeline, as he looks to the side, clenching his fists. Praire can see that he's in pain over the video, so she orders them to turn it off. Once Alister looks back at her, there are tears in his eyes. 

"Alister, you need to tell us what's going on, or we can't help you. For sometime now, we have been looking into Tyson's company. He's been trading illegal weapons across the country, and we saw this as a chance to get him! Alister, please tell us what has happened to you." Vent says from behind. 

"Angeline… that's her name. I knew Tyson was rotten from the start… I just knew it! I confronted him while he was trying to get people to help him. I told him I was watching him. Next time I saw him, it was in his office, and I stole files on Model ZW from his desk. He's still looking for those files that I have hidden away. Angeline… she did nothing wrong to Tyson… and he had his men take her, and beat her… cut her… and who knows what other things!! All so he could trap me like this!! I vowed a long time ago, to never kill a single soul. But I almost broke that promise to myself… How can I keep going, knowing that someone has suffered because of my actions? I just want to know if Angeline is safe!!" Alister shouts. Everyone was silent. Even the people working hard took a moment to look back and listen to Alister's story. 

"I'm sorry Alister… It would seem that you are on the right side after all… We will do what we can to help you. I do have some good news for you though. Your friend Angeline is in our sickbay." Praire tells him. 

"What?! Where is she?!" shouts Alister. 

"Vent, take him to her. He needs to see her." Praire says as she sits down again. 

As the chair turns around, Vent walks Alister out. They head towards the elevator, and go up one floor. They walk to the room at the end of the hallway. Vent knocks on the door. They hear a females voice call them in from behind the door. Alister almost cries again, upon seeing Angeline lying on the bed. Bandages all over her body. She's awake, and talking to another girl who is sitting next to her. 

"Alister!" Angeline shouts as she smiles at him. The girl with brown hair next to her gets up to let them be alone. 

"Talk to you later Angeline!" she says as she leaves the room. 

"Bye Aile!" she replies. Alister then sits down next to her, but Vent pulls him out of the room. 

"Alister will be right back Angeline!" Vent tells her. 

"What did you do that for?!" shouts Alister. He takes notice of two standing next to them. One is a large woman, who appears to be a nurse, or a doctor. Red curly hair. The other seems shy, with long purple hair that even covers her eyes. 

"This is him, Muguet." says Vent as he walks away with Aile. 

"Your friend was really hurt when she was brought to us. She's very lucky. If she had of arrived here later than she did, she would be dead due to the loss of blood. She will recover in time." Muguet explains. Alister sighs a sigh of relief while entering Angeline's room. 

Angeline smiles at him again, but he ignores that and sits down next to her. He looks down at the ground, before falling out of the chair. He rests his head on her lap, and starts to cry. Angeline is shocked by this. 

"What's wrong Alister?" she asks him. 

"It's all my fault! All of it! It's all my fault you were hurt! ALL OF IT!!" screams Alister. Angeline begins to stroke his head. 

"Hey hey… it's fine Alister. I'm fine really…" she says almost crying with him. 

"No you're not! Because of me... you were nearly beaten to death!" Alister says as he starts to cry again. Angeline rests her head on his, then hugs him. Alister has never… not once in his life cried so hard. Not since the loss of his sister. He continues to cry, as she begins to cry a bit as well. 

"It will be ok Alister… it will all be fine…" she tells him. Her words did bring comfort to him, as he was somehow able to face her. That is when it happened. He kisses her gently on her lips, then pulls back very fast without knowing what had just happened. 

"I'm sorry…" he says feeling embarrassed. She shakes her head. 

"No, don't be… Alister…" she says to him. He stands up, then walks to the door. 

"Angeline… I will come back to you. I promise you… I will come back." he says before walking out of the room. She smiles. 

"I know Alister. I know you will." she thinks to herself before lying down again. She smiles as she touches her lips gently. Alister walks into the command area, as Praire turns around. 

"What can I do to help with Tyson?" Alister asks, feeling like he's a new person. 

Half an hour later, Vent, Aile, and Alister leave the Guardian HQ. Both Vent and Aile are transformed as Model HX. They are holding Alister as they fly down to the ground below. They land directly on Tyson's building, and meet with a great amount of his robot droids. They drop Alister off, before attacking the droids with their sabers. Vent comes crashing down upon two of the droids, as Aile dashes up to another pair, running them through. 

"Go Alister! We'll get rid of these droids before we join you!" Vent shouts as he transforms into Model PX. Aile transforms into Model LX. They dash towards the droids as Alister enters the building. He thinks back his orders, as he runs through the halls. 

"Vent and Aile. You two are to keep the enemy busy on the top of the building, while Alister sneaks inside. Once inside, Alister is going to hack into Tyson's personal PC, and download all of his illegal acts onto one disc. That should be all there is to this briefing." Praire says in Alister's thoughts. 

He meets with some opposing force of his own, before he jumps towards them. Four droids block his path now. He does a quick spin kick, knocking one droid down to the floor. As he turns around, he grabs one, and hurls it into the next. Leaving only one droid to take out. 

It takes aim with its gun arm, but before it could fire, Alister throws a large kunai inside of the gun, causing it to backfire. He continues on to Tyson's office. He opens the door, while looking around. He enters the room, and runs towards the computer. He begins his hack, and cracks it with ease. Figuring that Tyson has left already, he feels easy about the rest of the mission. 

"Hold it right there!" Tyson shouts as he fires a laser gun at his computer. 

"Rock on!" he shouts before jumping back as Black Rockman. The laser blast destroyed Tyson's computer completely. The mission has failed. 

"I thought that Guardian took care of you! I guess if you have to do something, do it yourself… isn't that right Black Rockman?" Tyson taunts. 

He continues to fire at Alister, who is dodging every blast with ease. Tyson is getting angry at this, and turns up the power levels on the weapon. The blasts become more destructive, as the floor begins to give in.

"Tyson stop! If you continue like this you'll be killed!" Alister calls to him.

"I'll kill you for sure!" Tyson screams in rage.

With that the floor caves in. They both fall down many levels before hitting the first floor. Vent and Aile could hear the noise from above, as they finish off the rest of the droids. They head inside to meet with Alister. 

Alister stands to his feet, while looking around for Tyson. He spots an arm sticking out of the broken bits of the floors they crashed into. He removes the bits from Tyson, only to find Tyson dead. A sharp object had pierced through him during the fall. At that point, Vent and Aile come rushing into the room. They spot Tyson, as well as Alister. They walk over to him while looking at Tyson.

"Did you…" starts Vent as Alister shakes his head. 

"Killed by his own madness. What a horrible way to go…" Alister says as he turns back to normal. Hours later, Vent, Aile and Alister stand in front of Praire to report their mission. 

"The mission has…" Vent begins. 

"Been completed." interrupts Alister. He hands Praire the disc. 

"Thank you Alister. What about Tyson? Was he near when you took the data?" she asks. 

"Tyson is dead. While firing a powerful laser weapon at Alister, the floor gave in. Alister was lucky to have transformed, or he would be dead as well." Aile speaks. 

"I see… good work you three. Alister, Angeline has been asking about you. Go see her." Praire tells him. 

"I will. Thank you for helping her. If you look on that disc, you will also see files on the perfect person to replace Tyson with." he replies while walking out of the room. 

"He really is a piece of work." Vent says as he laughs. Alister opens the door to Angeline's room, and walks in. 

"Hi." he greets while sitting down next to her. A gentle smile greets him back. 

End of Chapter 9


	11. Chapter 10: New Light, New Adventure

Rockman ZW  
Chapter 10: New Light, New Adventure 

It has been two weeks since the death of Tyson Steller. For a week, the company had no leader, until the Guardians appointed another to lead them. The same person who came to visit Angeline and Alister that one night. His name is Jake Waters, and before Tyson died, he was appointed to be vice president of the company. 

He had no clue to the illegal weapons and dealing going on there, so he was given the company, as well as the vast amount of wealth Tyson had. He has now turned Steller Inc into Waters Foundation. Instead of dealing weapons, he now makes way for the new generation of kids. 

The old part of the city, has been rebuilt by the funds Waters Foundation has given to the city. Now the old part of the city, is brand new. Even better than the new part of the city. The families who have lived in poor homes, now have a new roof to sleep under. But Alister did not want to stay. 

After everything that had been going on, he thought it would be best to leave. Angeline made up her mind to go with him, as they both talked about it. The Guardians offered Alister and Angeline a place with them. Alister refused, as did Angeline. That is when Praire, gave them another offer. They would be agents of the Guardians, but not official. 

They would be allowed to go where they choose, and act how they choose. But if their help was needed, they would be called upon. Alister agreed to those terms, as they left their home behind. On to new things. On to new places. On to a new life. They were given supplies that could last them a month in the desert. They were also given a vehicle, that could last for a year without dying. They began their journey, to a new home. 

They travel through the blistering hot desert, as the wind cools them down a bit. Even then, the air at times was blazing hot. The sun was beginning to beat down on them hard. Alister is at the wheel, driving a straight line towards another city located on their map. 

Name is unknown, but they will go that way anyways. Along the way, they spot an oasis. Hoping not to be an illusion, they stop at it. Angeline gets out, as Alister gets out as well. He takes his face mask off, and dips his head in the water. 

"I needed that." he says out loud. Angeline takes her shoes off, and puts her feet in the water. 

"And I needed that… phew… how far until we reach that town, or city?" Angeline asks. Alister washes his face, before drying off. 

"We should be there by night. This is a desert you know. We also have to be on our guard. There are a lot of gangs that live out here. They constantly fight each other to be number one. So we shouldn't be here too much longer." Alister replies while looking around. He can see a dust cloud in the distance. But there is no wind blowing, nor is it showing signs of a storm in the sky. 

"We have to go now! Get in the car!" Alister shouts to her. 

She quickly puts her shoes back on, and jumps in the car. Alister puts it into reverse quickly, then floors it towards their goal. A few seconds later, the dust cloud nears the oasis. But it's not a dust cloud, as much as it is a desert gang heading their way. They have been following them since they left the city. 

A bunch of doom buggies. The lead buggy looks like it was built for combat, as well as speed. Spikes on the wheels, with vulcan guns in the front above the headlights. A single mortar launcher rests above the drivers head, with a seat to help the gunner aim. Two buggies follow behind the lead vehicle. 

The smaller two are meant for speed. They only have the vulcans above their headlights. But for their speed, they have boosters in the back. Each have two people inside. Their leader is in the lead buggy, on the passenger side. He gives the order for the smaller two to go on ahead. 

They activate their boosters, giving them incredible speeds. They whiz past the lead buggy heading towards Alister and Angeline. Very quickly, they catch up with them. But they only see a girl driving. She turns to smile and wave at them, as a transformed Alister suddenly appears on one of their buggies. 

He stands in the sunlight, with his arms crossed. They spot his shadow, and slowly turn around. Each of them are wearing goggles. What else would you expect a desert gang to wear? They swerve the buggy to throw him off. 

Alister disappears, then appears on the other buggy. He quickly slashes their tires, then appears on the other buggy again doing the same. The two buggies slow down to a stop, as Alister jumps back in the car with Angeline. 

"You did it!" she cheers. 

"There is still one more Angeline. This isn't over just yet." he tells her, looking into the rear view mirror. 

He can see a large buggy slowly approaching them. The gunner prepares to fire. He smirks at the thought of being able to blow something up. He quickly takes aim, then fires. The mortar round hits in front of Alister and Angeline's car. She turns to dodge, as Alister holds on for his life. 

"Man you can drive! Where did you learn that?!" Alister questions as he watches behind them. 

"I'm just full of surprises you know!" she replies with a smile. Alister closes his eyes, and scratches his forehead with a stressed look. Another round is fired. This time it throws the car over. Alister quickly grabs Angeline, and rolls out of the car. It flips over, then explodes. 

"Well there goes our supplies…" Angeline mutters. The buggy pulls up behind them, as the leader steps out of the passenger side. 

He's huge, and towers over them. He wears a brown shirt with short sleeves. A bandana on his head, covering his blonde hair. He has brown eyes, and wears brown pants. Black boots, and goggles on his forehead. 

"You gave us a hard time. What do you have to say for yourselves?" he asks them. 

"I know that voice…" Alister thinks to himself, as he squints his eyes to see who it is. 

"Not going to answer me? That's fine. You'll have to pay a price for going through our desert. And since your car has been totaled, you can't offer that." he smartly continues. 

"Why don't you just take my clothes, and leave me naked out here in the sun? That way I could kill the birds flying overhead!" Alister replies with a large smile on his face. Angeline thought he was crazy. 

"What did you say? Alister…? Is that you?!" the man questions. Alister transforms back to normal, and walks up to the man. 

"Hey! It's been awhile hasn't it Bear?" Alister greets, as he looks up at him. Bear puts his hand on Alister's right shoulder. 

"It sure has my boy! If I knew it was you we were chasing, I would have welcomed you instead of blowing your car up! Ha ha!" the man laughs. Angeline walks up to the two. 

"Am I missing something here…?" she asks the two. Bear shoves Alister to the side, then kneels down in front of Angeline. 

"Greetings young lady! My name is Bear. I'm an old friend of Alister's!" Bear says as he goes to kiss her hand. Alister holds his face back. 

"Old is right." Alister smarts off as Bear stands up again. 

"Well in that case, why don't you two come back to our camp with me! Everyone will be happy to see you again Alister!" Bear says as he walks back to his buggy. Alister leads Angeline to the buggy, and puts her in the back. He climbs in as well. 

"Alister… can we trust these guys? I don't like them." she tells him. He gives her a hug, then looks her in the eyes. 

"I would never put you in harms way. Besides, these are old friends of mine. You're safe." he assures her. 

Bear turns his head to the driver, telling him to go back to pick up their friends, then go back to camp. They pass the oasis along the way to the camp. Hours later, they arrive. It's almost night time, as the sunset sets. It's a large camp, with tents everywhere. A very large tent holds their buggies. Bandits walking around take notice to Angeline leaving the buggy, and crowd around howling at her. Alister climbs out, and steps in front of her. 

"Sorry guys, but she stays with me!" he shouts. 

"Alister!!" the crowd shouts in joy. They surround Alister and begin to rub his hair, and some give him hugs. Alister smiles at the sight of his old friends. Bear steps out, and the crowd stops. He walks up to Alister and Angeline. He picks them both up, and puts them on his shoulders. 

"Tonight Alister and his lovely lady friend will be eating with us! So make sure you make them feel welcome!" Bear announces. 

There is a cheer throughout the camp. Angeline realizes these people really do care for Alister. Hours later, in the center of the tents there is a very large circle area with a large circle table that goes all the way around. Everyone sits down to eat there like a family would. Alister and Angeline are sitting with Bear. 

Alister makes sure that another female is sitting next to Angeline while eating. Sitting before them, is some roasted chicken, and water from the oasis from before. Everyone is loud, and talking to one another. 

"So tell me Alister… how did you come across this young lady? She's too good for you!" laughs Bear. 

"Yeah! Give her to me!!" one guy shouts from afar. 

"My name is Angeline…" she tells Bear. 

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you Angeline." Bear replies with a smile. 

"Well, actually… I met her inside of her house." Alister tells him. Everyone stops, and looks at Alister. 

"Alister you dog…" Bear starts.

"No! That's not what I meant!" shouts Alister as he struggles to explain. 

"Actually Bear, he saved my life. After that, he was too tired to even stand. So I took him back to my place so he could rest easy." Angeline explains. Alister gives her a look of relief. Everyone listens in now. They still eat, but they want to know about Alister. 

"Same old Alister I see! Ha! You haven't changed a single bit have you my boy?" Bear asks while smacking Alister on the back, nearly causing him to choke on the food he had just started chewing. Angeline laughs at this. 

"So tell me how you and Alister know each other. He's never mentioned you to me before. 

"Well you never asked me…" replies Alister. 

"We were Alister's home away from home. We always have been. We agreed a long time ago with Sonic Tiger, that Alister could stay with us a week at a time. That was so he could avoid his followers finding out about him and Alister. Alister would also help us with some of our missions. So it was his home away from home! To some, he was considered a younger brother, or a son to the much older men here. As well as the women here." Bear tells her. 

"Apparently we raised him right! He found a pretty girl like you!!" one shouts. 

"I'll say!!" shouts another. 

The crowd begins to get loud again. Half an hour later, everyone has finished eating. A lot of the gang leaves to do their nightly shifts. Some stick around to listen to chat with each other. A few stick around to catch up with Alister. Bear puts down his glass of water. 

"Well Alister, it's good to see you again after all of these years. Do you remember the Maverick gang we were always fighting?" asks Bear. Alister nods. 

"How could I forget? What happened to them anyways?" asks Alister. 

"We made a deal with them last week. In return they agreed to leave us alone." replies Bear. 

"Oh? What was the deal?" questions a curious Alister as Angeline suddenly disappears. Alister turns to see some guys holding her. Bear grabs him from behind, and holds him. Alister struggles to get free, but he knows the best out of anyone… you can't get out of Bear's arms. 

"What are you doing?! Alister is your friend! How can you treat us like this?!" Angeline shouts. 

"It's nothing against Alister. So I really do hope that he goes along with this." Bear replies with a sad look on his face. 

"What do you want Bear? Why are you doing this?!" Alister shouts his question. 

"The deal we made, was for your Model ZW! Hand it over to us, and your life, as well as Angeline's will be spared." speaks Bear. 

"How could you be so low?! Where is the leader of the Maverick gang?!" Alister asks as he continues to struggle. A figure walks up behind Bear. 

"I am right here." speaks a Wolf reploid. Bear turns to him, to let Alister see him. 

"What is it with wolves?! Why not a fox? Or even a pink and fluffy rabbit!!" shouts Alister. 

"My name is Quick Silver. You'd be better off to do as Bear says, and hand over Model ZW to me. Otherwise you will die." he says walking into the light of the fire. He's a grey and silver wolf, that walks on all four legs. His tail is a sharp as diamond. As a matter of a fact, it is diamond. Able to cut through anything with one slice. His red eyes stare at Alister. 

"I need time to think about this. Is that alright with you wolf?" snaps Alister. 

"Hmph! You have until daybreak. If you haven't made up your mind, I'll make it for you. And I will start with the girl!" snarls Quick Silver. Bear ties Alister and Angeline to a post inside one of the tents, then walks away. 

"Alister! How are we getting out of this mess?!" Angeline snaps at him. 

"Calm down. We'll be fine. I am going to go settle this with Quick Silver and Bear." Alister says as he slips out of the ropes. 

"How did you do that?!" asks a shocked Angeline. 

"Hey, I'm a thief remember? I can do all sorts of things!" he says as he slips away. 

She giggles, then watches for someone to come in. Alister sneaks past everyone in the camp, and heads towards Bear's tent. He knows this place very well. He walks into Bear's huge tent, and finds Quick Silver talking with Bear. He makes sure that they can see him. He stands in the light of the fire, so they can see his shadow. Quick Silver turns around and spots him. 

"The thief! How dare you listen in to us! You will die for that!" howls the wolf as he lunges towards Alister. He rolls out of the way, but Bear grabs him again, squeezing even harder than before. 

"Ha ha! You see thief? You can't win! Even your old leader is willing to give you away for the future of his men!" laughs the wolf. 

"I'm sorry Alister… this has to be done. He was going to give the order to kill every one of my men. So I made this deal with him…" Bear tells him. 

"So if I was to take this guy out… would that help you?" Alister quietly asks him. 

"But you can't… it's hopeless for you…" speaks the large man. Alister smirks. 

"Watch this Bear! I will set your people free from this wolf right before your very eyes my friend! Rock on!" Alister shouts. There is a glow around his body, as Bear cannot hold him. He would have gone blind if he hadn't of looked away. Alister is standing in front of him as Black Rockman now. He has the look of fire in his eyes this time. 

"This is what you looked like when I met you in the desert today! So you are the Black Rockman after all!" Bear shouts. 

"So you know how to use the Model ZW… but you can't defeat me!!" Quick Silver yells as he charges towards Alister. 

Alister dashes to the side, but Quick Silver is right there with him. He realizes, this is going to be a big fight. Every big fight deserves a big fighting arena. 

Alister rips open the side of Bear's tent, and dashes outside. The wolf follows him. All of a sudden, Alister appears next to Quick Silver, and slashes with his left arm slasher. The wolf dodges, but takes notice that Alister hit him. Nothing serious, but a scratch on his face. 

"Nobody has ever hit me before! How dare you touch me HUMAN!!" the wolf howls as he charges straight for Alister. Bear walks out of the tent to watch this fight. Many of the gang members watch as well. 

"Pay attention men. This fight will decide our future." Bear tells them. 

"Yes sir!" they reply in unison. 

Quick Silver lowers his tail, and dashes towards Alister. He runs past him, as the tail follows. Alister ducks, but a blade hits him in the back, cutting through to his skin. Alister screams out in pain, as the blood begins to drip from his back. Alister stands to his feet, in much pain. 

"You see that boy? You may have decent armor on, but it's not enough! You have no chance of beating me now! You're mine!" the wolf howls. 

"Do not worry Alister. Keep fighting. You will live through this." Model ZW tells him. 

"But if I don't stop bleeding, I could die from the blood loss!" Alister argues back. 

"I will take care of your wounds. You take care of this fight. You don't need to worry about your cuts." replies Model ZW. 

"Alright, I understand. I will give you my trust." Alister says as he gets into a fighting position. 

He closes his eyes to focus, and regain his thoughts. Quick Silver slightly moves his left front foot, and Alister hears this. He moves his head towards the sound of the footstep. Suddenly, there is a slight glow around Alister. Everyone is in awe, at this sight. Slowly, his deep cuts are healing. Model ZW is doing this. 

"I am the eternal light, that will destroy all evil!" Alister and Model ZW say in unison. 

He extends his arm slashers, as they begin to give off a brilliant glow. He slashes them to the side, as they slowly begin to extend. Quick Silver dashes towards him, attempting to slash him again. Alister disappears as soon as the wolf nears him. He stops, while looking for Alister. He's nowhere to be found. 

Franticly looking around, he becomes afraid. Where did the human go? How could he move so fast? Suddenly, Alister appears to the right of him. Quick Silver throws his tail towards him, but misses. Alister is gone again. Alister appears to the left of him this time, and attacks. He slashes towards the wolf, but then stops right before connecting. He disappears again. 

The wolf is now terrified. Why didn't he hit him? All of a sudden, Alister appears in front of him, and begins to rapidly punch and kick at the wolf. Even for a reploid on all four legs, he's large. Alister continues to kick at his legs, forcing him to kneel down. Alister then disappears again. 

Quick Silver struggles to stand, but he does. Alister appears in front of him one last time, with his arm slashers glowing brighter than before. He uses both arm slashers and stabs the ground. This creates a massive shockwave that hits Quick Silver. He howls as he hits the ground. Alister walks up to him with a sigh of relief that quickly follows. 

"Do you want to give up now, Quick Silver?" Alister asks him. 

"N-Never… human!" he fights back. 

"So be it Quick Silver. I gave you a chance." Alister says before cutting his tail off. The wolf howls once again. But this time his pride was broken, not him. Alister transforms back to normal, and falls to one knee. 

"That was rough… it seems that I can withstand that much use of the Zero Fade now… but it's still hard on me…" he says to himself as he stands up. A bit light headed, but fine. He pulls out a com device that was in his pocket. He presses the button to talk. 

"This is Praire, of the Guardian's. What is it Alister?" Praire answers. 

"I have someone that I need for you to pick up. His name is Quick Silver, and he's been causing trouble in the desert for my friends." Alister replies. 

Everything from then on was cleared up. Bear wouldn't stop saying he was sorry to Angeline, as Alister stood in the background. When they went to sleep, Alister stayed awake. Keeping an eye on Angeline. When morning came, Bear and his men had a vehicle ready for them, to say sorry. 

"Alister, I'm really sorry about everything that has happened. I can't say that enough times." Bear says looking at the ground. Alister walks up to him, and punches him right in the stomach. It even hurt the huge man. 

"I can't say I would have done the same thing. But you did what you had to do in order to protect your men. This punch makes us even… old friend." Alister says with a smirk. Bear is happy to know this, and gives him a huge hug. Angeline laughs at Alister trying to breath in that hug. They get into the jeep that was given to them, and drive off towards their goal. 

"That was fun, don't you think Alister? Alister?" Angeline asks as she turns to Alister. He's asleep. Since he was awake all night, he was very tired.

"Alister? Ugh… I was hoping to talk for once…" Angeline sighs. She then giggles a bit. 

End of Chapter 10


	12. Chapter 11: Model B

Rockman ZW  
Chapter 11: Model B 

It has taken Alister and Angeline two days to get to their goal. They have finally arrived at Gears City. The neighboring city to New Tech. The two often trade with each other. Gears being the one that supplies the technology needed for New Tech to develop software. As they coast into the city, due to the jeep breaking down. 

Alister kicks the wheels as he mutters the words "that cheap Bear" out loud. They leave the worn out jeep for someone to take, and walk away. Alister is carrying a large sack on his back though. People eye him as they walk down the streets. Alister walks up to a man wearing something like he is wearing. 

"Excuse me, but do you know where I could find a trading center around here?" questions Alister. 

The man turns to look at him. He's wearing a yellow shirt, with green for sleeves. He has brown shorts on that look like they use to be pants, but were cut off. Green shoes, green eyes, and blonde hair. He smiles as he replies. 

"Yeah, it's three blocks down this street, and turn to the right the first chance you get after that. You can't miss it." he tells him. Alister says thanks before he and Angeline walk off. 

"What are you going to trade Alister?" asks Angeline. 

"I don't know if I am going to trade just yet. I'm going to see if it's worth money first." he replies. 

As they enter the trading center, they take notice to several gang type members standing around, as they notice them walking in. Ignoring them, Alister and Angeline walk up to the main desk and call for service. The gang members are watching Angeline. 

She does not like this at all, but she makes it look like she's ignoring them as well. A man in a black apron with a blue buttoned shirt and jeans walks out

from the back. He has very short black hair and blue eyes. 

"What can I do for you today my friends?" he asks while looking at Alister's large sack. 

"I was wondering if you could tell me the price of an item I have." Alister asks the man. 

"Yes I can do that. Show me what you have." the man says while nodding. Alister lifts the sack, and puts it on the counter. He opens it, revealing the tail from Quick Silver. The man gets out an eye piece to look over the item. 

"Why, this is pure diamond! It's worth a fortune!" the man exclaims. 

"Is it now? Odd that something I found lying around in the desert is like that…" Alister says as Angeline holds back a laugh. 

"Are you wanting to trade it here?" the man asks with tears basically filling his eyes. Alister nods, as the man runs in the back with the tail. The gang members leave, as the man walks back with a sack full of S Credits. 

"How much was it worth anyways?" asks Angeline. 

"My dear, that was worth much more than my shop. An easy million in S Credits." the man says now very happy. Alister takes the bag and shakes the mans hand. 

"Thanks for your time sir. You have a nice day now." Alister says as they walk out. 

Alister is holding the bag full of S Credits, as Angeline dreams of a good place to finally stay for the night. Outside of the center though, stands one of the gang members that was in the trade center. He starts to follow them as they walk down the sidewalk. Alister of course, takes notice right off the bat without turning around. 

"Where do you want to stay tonight Angeline?" asks Alister making it seem like he hasn't noticed yet. 

"Somewhere that's not cheap, that's for sure! I can't wait to finally be able to sleep in a nice comfy bed!" Angeline says as a smile does not leave her face. 

Alister has that stressed look again. While walking across where a stop light is, he takes notice to yet another gang member. He also starts to follow. Soon, Alister and Angeline turn down an alley to avoid them, but Alister was planning on doing this. As soon as they go down that alley, three more gang members walk out of the dark in front of them. As well as the two from before walk up behind them. 

"Okay… you've been following us ever since we left the center. What do you guys want?" as if Alister even had to ask. 

"It's pretty simple. You give us that bag, and you go free. But if you don't, we'll slit your throat and take your girl." the one leading the three in front of them says. 

"And you think it would really be that easy to get it from me?" Alister says with a smirk on his face. 

"Be smart now. We just want the bag, so we can get by for awhile. That way we can avoid the law here for a long time." he replies with. Alister closes his eyes, thinking back to all the times that it was like that with him. How he would have longed for a pile of S Credits that he's holding now. 

"I understand how you feel. I myself am a thief. But I am sure you can understand, thief to thief, that I don't have to just give you the Credits. I understand how everyone in this alley feels about avoiding the law by not stealing for what you need to eat, or what you need to wear. I have gone through that my entire life. Going week by week with just a loaf of bread to get by without starving. I know how everyone feels. But understand this… you're not getting this bag from me." Alister tells them. 

"What a shame then." the thug replies before everyone attacks. 

Alister throws the bag high into the air before he back kicks a thug in the stomach. One goes to grab Angeline as Alister goes to attack him. But before that happens Angeline grabs the thugs wrist, and snaps it back. Then she kicks his legs out from underneath him and slams him to the ground. 

Alister laughs to himself while tackling a thug to their left. One from each of their sides are still standing. The others are on the ground moaning in pain from just one hit. The two attempt to attack at the same time, as Alister and Angeline switch places, before grabbing each others hand. They swing around and kick at a thug. 

They fly backwards, crashing into boxes or garbage cans. Alister then catches the bag that he threw up into the air from before. They walk towards the exit of the alley, but then Alister walks back to the thug he was talking to before. He kneels down. 

"Because I'm such a nice guy, I won't tell the law that you were planning on stealing that pure diamond from the man in the trade center. I'll leave you guys enough S Credits so you can get by for awhile, because I know how it feels. Kindness is something that needs to be shared. Remember that as I have through my life, and you'll make it like I have." Alister tells him as he gives the thugs a quarter of the bag. 

As they leave the alley the thugs are speechless. Even after all that was said and done, they were given all that credit. Beaten and with their pride hurt, they stood to their feet actually happy. 

Later that evening Alister and Angeline get a room at a hotel not too far from the trading center. Alister gets his bed ready on the floor, and looks out all of the windows. Not that great of a view from where a thief is considered. But a nice view of the trade center, for what it's worth. 

Angeline jumps onto her bed, and rolls around in the covers. Alister laughs as she sits up. Looking at him with a funny look, she throws a pillow at his head. He dodges then goes to throw it back. But before he could, another pillow smacks him in the face. 

"Alright you got me…" Alister says as he uses one of the pillows for his own. They talk for awhile, before Angeline finally falls asleep. Alister sits up from the bed he made on the ground, and watches her sleep. 

"To think, I have someone like you with me now. I'm not use to not being alone…" Alister thinks. 

He lies back down, and soon falls asleep. Sometime after they had fallen asleep, the trade center explodes. This of course wakes up the entire city. Alister leaps out of his bed, as does Angeline. They look out of the window at the trade center. 

"Stay here Angeline! I'm going to see what's up!" Alister says as he puts his shirt back on followed by his jacket. She nods as he leaps out of the window. 

"Rock on!" he shouts while falling. He lands as Black Rockman, then rushes towards the center. Upon his arrival, the fire department, and police are there. He walks up to them. 

"Hey, what happened here?" he asks them. They turn around to see Black Rockman standing there. 

"Black Rockman?" one lawman asks. 

"We don't know. We just got here ourselves." a fireman states. 

"I see. Let me go in first. I have a better chance of avoiding the flames than any of you." he tells them. 

They agree as he walks towards the roaring flames. He takes notice of the thugs from before running up to the center. Did they do this? But why would they return to the scene of the crime? The police notice them there as well while thinking they had something to do with this. He orders for his men to arrest them as Alister runs back to the chief. 

"They had nothing to do with this! Why would they return to the scene of the crime?" he asks the man. The chief thinks it over, and tells his men to release them. 

"Get to safety!" he tells them. Everyone but one of the thugs listen. 

He stays behind, and watches Alister jump through the flames. He sneaks around all of the firemen and officers and finds another way inside. Alister walks through the flames, looking for the man that traded him the credits. Sure enough, he finds him in the back of the center, on the ground with the diamond behind him. 

"Hey you! It's dangerous here! Come with me and I will get you out safely!" he tells the man. 

He has so much fear in his eyes, as Alister is tackled from behind. Alister flips over to see that a Maverick is what caused the explosion. He's an human sized panther. Black with green eyes. His claws are very sharp, just like Quick Silver's tail they are pure diamond. 

"Don't get in the way, or I'll cut you down to size hero!" says the panther. Alister also takes notice of the thug from before sneaking around behind him. 

"Why did you attack this man's trade center?" Alister questions the Maverick. The thug sneaks around the flames and the panther to the man, and helps him up while the panther explains. 

"Simple. That tail belongs to Quick Silver and he's a friend of mine. I want it back." the panther says before taking notice to the thug helping the man out. 

He sends a pulse towards them, that sends them flying into the wall. They crash through and slide into the warehouse of the mans center. The panther goes after them, but Alister tackles him before he could go through the hole in the wall. 

"Are you alright?" the thug asks the man. 

"I'm fine for now, but why did you of all people help me? You and your friends are always harassing my customers!" the man says. 

"We thought it was time for a change, and to help people instead of stealing from them. Don't worry, I will protect you, and make sure you get out of this alive." says the thug. 

"Thank you… how will I repay you?" asks the man. 

"You don't need to. Stay here, so I can try to help out that guy fighting the panther." he says while running off to help. 

Alister is having a hard time fighting in the flames, as it is wearing him down slowly. He and the panther exchange slashes towards the other, only clashing. Finally the panther rushes forward, and overpowers Alister. He falls to one knee, while struggling to maintain his focus. But he's losing it fast. The panther walks up to him, and prepares to slash one last time. Then, the thug stands in the way with his arms out to the side. 

"What are you doing?!" Alister shouts. 

"Foolish human. You would throw away your life to protect his?" the panther questions. 

"I'm not throwing anything away! It's my courage and kindness that brings me to do this! So go ahead and attack!!" shouts the thug. 

Alister takes notice that this is the thug that was at the stoplight when they first entered the city. Also the same thug that tried to take his credits. The panther slashes, as a beam of light hits the thug. He screams out in such pain as another Live Metal floats in front of him. 

"Is that what I think it is Model ZW?" Alister asks. 

"Yes. It would appear the man who owns this center had the Live Metal." answers Model ZW. The thug is still in pain as the light blinds the panther. Alister watches as another hero is born in front of his eyes. 

"I am Model B. The Lightning bolt of courage. My bolts of lightning will always strike true. You who are with much courage, shall now use my might." Model B tells the thug. 

The light dies down, as Model B stands before them. He has a helmet that looks like Black Rockman's, but is more curved around the sides. Instead of the single spike on the forehead of the helmet he has one on the left and right side of his helmet going backwards. His helmet is yellow with the parts going backwards red. 

He has a red face mask. Near his eyes, there is a red line going down to the face mask. The armor on his shoulders is yellow, with a red line going down. His shoulder pads stick out to the side, and gets smaller. He has a booster pack on his back, that when used at high speeds, he can actually turn into a bolt of lightning. The boosters are behind his shoulders, as well as two smaller boosters around his waist. The boosters are surrounded by a red and yellow cover, that provide armor for the boosters so they are not easily taken out. Next to each booster is a spike. Each of them point down, to give better lift. 

His arms have a lightning gauntlet, which can call forth Model B's power over lightning. It is wrapped around his hands, which also have a knife sticking out of his right gauntlet. The color under the armor is green. His legs armor is red with yellow lines going through them. Each leg has two smaller spikes going down on both sides of his legs. 

"What… happened… to me?" the thug wonders. 

"You have been chosen by Model B! Now use that power to defeat the Maverick!" shouts Alister. 

"Right!" the thug replies as he looks back at him. 

He charges the panther while punching lightning fast. The thug is amazed at his speed. Even Alister is amazed. As the thug goes for another punch, the knife on his right gauntlet comes out, and he stabs the panther his left shoulder. As he connects, sparks begin to fly everywhere. Not from the panther, but from the thugs knife attack. 

The panther falls over defeated. He couldn't even see due to being blinded by that light. Alister rushes outside as the firemen have just put the fire out. The thug helps the man out of the trade center, as Alister follows with the black panther dragging behind. 

"Black Rockman! You did it!" the chief exclaims. 

"It wasn't me that defeated this Maverick. It was him." Alister says while pointing towards the thug. He drops the panthers arm, and walks over to the thug as he helps the man into the ambulance. He sticks out his hand in thanks. 

"Thank you for your help. I would have died if it wasn't for you." Alister says. The thug shakes his hand, as they look at each other in the eye. Alister breaks the shake, then walks closer to him. 

"Kindness is something that needs to be shared. Remember that as I have and you'll get by in life as I have." he whispers to him before leaping into the darkness. The thug turns around knowing who he is now. But as he turned around, Alister was already gone. 

End of Chapter 11


	13. Chapter 12: The Titanium Alloy Stolen!

Rockman ZW  
Chapter 12: The Titanium Alloy Stolen! 

Angeline wakes the next morning to Alister watching outside of the window. He has a cup of coffee in his right hand. She sniffs the air as the smell of the coffee makes her get up. She makes her way to the table with the coffee pot and pours herself a cup. She walks up next to Alister and looks outside of the window with him. 

"So what are we looking at?" she asks him with a smile. 

"That trading center we went to yesterday. That's also where I went last night." he replies. 

"I see. How did that go?" Angeline asks sipping of her hot coffee. "Ouch!" she adds while rubbing her lips. 

"It was interesting to say the least. " says Alister while closing his eyes, and sipping from his own cup. 

Suddenly there is a knock at their door. Angeline puts her cup down on the table, and goes to open the door. One of the men that work there hands her a letter, and tells her that a man sent it. She hands it to Alister and picks up her cup again. As Alister reads he leans on the wall next to him. 

"I want to talk with you. Meet me on the roof of the Trade Center. Signed thug." reads Alister. 

"Well, I guess I'll be back in a little while Angeline. Want to go to dinner tonight?" he asks her as he puts his jacket on. 

She smiles then replies with a yes as he leaves the room. Soon he leaves the hotel as he walks across the street. Walking along he takes notice of many thugs waving and smiling at him. Some officers give a mean look at Alister as he has a stressed look on his face now. 

He finds a way to get past the eyes of the officers, and gets onto the rooftop of the Trade Center. Being careful not to fall through a soft spot in the roof due to the fire. He spots the thug standing all the way across from him. He walks over to him and crosses his arms. 

"I'm glad that you came to meet with me, Black Rockman." says the thug. 

"It's rude not to introduce yourself first." states Alister. 

"You can call me Blake." the thug says while the wind blows. 

"I'm Alister. I have no last name. So if you call me something it's Alister." says Alister as he looks towards him. They stand there for a few minutes, watching the city. 

"What did you want me here for Blake? I'm busy with a normal life as well." speaks Alister a bit cold. 

"I wanted advice from you. You seemed like you've been where I have been." Blake tells him as Alister shakes his head. 

"No... you haven't been where I have been. Do you know how it feels to lose your sister? Because if you don't know that pain, then you shouldn't be saying anything else." states Alister. 

"I never had a sister. My parents died when I was four years old." replies Blake. 

"At least we share that." says Alister before walking away. 

When Blake turns around to stop him Alister is already gone. Alister arrives at the hotel before hearing the water running in the bathroom. Alister goes to the kitchen sink for a drink of water before leaving again. Trying not to disturb Angeline, he walks down the hallway and goes to the breakfast area for the people who stay at the hotel. He grabs a loaf of bread and a cup of milk before walking out. He has a pocket full of credits hoping to buy Angeline something special for their dinner. 

He searches around while not really finding what he's looking for. Alister searches most of the day for a gift. But he finally finds something that catches his eye. He remembers that Angeline's dress from before was shredded. He walks inside before soon leaving with a box under his left arm. When he returns to the hotel half an hour later, Angeline is sitting in a chair by the window. She takes notice to Alister walking in and leaps out of her seat. 

"So where did you go today?" she asks him with glee. He hands her the box before getting a gentle smile on his face. 

"Here... this is for our date tonight. Go try it on and see if it fits you." he tells her while praying that he got the right size. 

Her eyes basically sparkle as she runs into the bathroom. Another half hour later she exit's the bathroom in a pure white dress that is the same that he bought her before in New Tech city. Alister stands to his feet with a smile on his face. 

"That looks great Angeline." Alister tells her. 

"Yes, I love the dress too. Thank you Alister…" she says while blushing. 

"I wasn't talking about the dress Angeline." he tells her as he takes her in his arms. Her eyes sparkle even more as they just gaze into each others eyes. The share a kiss with each other before Alister breaks it up. 

"What's wrong Alister?" she asks him. 

"Nothing. It's just that it is my turn to get dressed." he says before going into the bathroom. Ten minutes later he walks out in a grey suit with black boots on. Angeline giggles at the sight. 

"You're something else Alister. Shall we?" she asks as she lifts her left elbow. 

Alister wraps his arm around hers as they walk out of the room. As soon as they exit the hotel Angeline was expecting to walk the entire way. Alister walks up to a white limo parked in the front and opens the door. 

"We're not walking tonight Angeline. This night is going to be special for you." he says as she gets inside of the limo. She looks around and finds flowers everywhere. Red roses everywhere. Alister gets in and tells the driver to go. The older man nods before they drive off. 

"Any other surprises in store for me tonight?" asks Angeline. 

"I'm not going to answer that one. You'll just have to wait and see." Alister tells her. 

She rests her head on his shoulder as they drive along. Above them a single figure flies in the air watching them. The eyes of the figure look like that of a beast. It follows the limo for awhile then flies away. They arrive for dinner as the driver gets out and opens the door. Alister gets out first and holds his hand out for Angeline to grab. She gets out as people watch them walk inside. 

Angeline looks at the place, noticing that this wasn't cheap at all. Alister really went far for this one. The place was huge, and had water fountains with statues of animals next to each of them. Alister leads her to the top of the restaurant to a balcony table. In the distance they could see the mountains on the other side of the city. They sit down and order their food as Alister holds her hand. 

"Tonight we'll be able to see the sunset. Just the two of us, Angeline." Alister tells her with a gentle smile on his face. She smiles back as they wait for the sunset. Soon their food arrives before they dig in. 

Alister moves their chairs towards the sunset as they both watch it together, with her head on his shoulder, hand in hand. But as soon as the sunset is finished there is an explosion nearby. Alister instantly snaps to and looks in that direction. 

"Go Alister! Make sure you return to me tonight." Angeline tells him with a kiss on the cheek. 

"Are you sure you're fine with this?" he asks her. She smacks him on the back side of his head. 

"Did you even have to ask that silly question? Just go already!" she says with a smile. 

"With that kiss I can defeat any foe!" Alister jokes while running off.

Alister sneaks off from the crowd of people running and slips into the darkness. The flying figure from before is hovering above a small building. He looks like a lion but has wings as well. A humanoid griffon if anything else. His face is golden brown but his main is white. His wings are white with brown. As are his legs. His body armor looks like that of a knight. 

He flaps his powerful wings towards the building causing a gust of wind that shatters the walls. The building holds titanium alloy. He slowly hovers down towards the alloy and reaches to grab one. A hand suddenly grabs his arm before pushing him back. 

"Black Rockman…" growls the griffon while his narrow eyes lock on to Alister. 

"Hey now! It's not nice to take without asking! Your mom taught you that right?" Alister smarts off as the griffon flies towards Alister who dodges with ease. He lands in the street as the griffon flies up into the air.

"Leave now and you won't die." speaks the griffon in a cold voice. 

"I don't even know your name and you're telling me to leave already? You're pushy today huh?" Alister asks with a smirk. The griffon wasn't amused as he bolts towards Alister. He dodges again as the griffon flaps his wings towards Alister. The gust of wind throws him across the street and into a building at least twenty feet away. 

"Alright… avoid jumping too high…" thinks Alister. The griffon flies into the building and attempts to run him through with his claws. Alister quickly grabs his hand as the griffon slams him through the wall. Alister slides across the street and hits a fire hydrant. As the water spews up into the air Alister stands to his feet with blood coming from his mouth. 

"That's enough!" shouts Alister as he goes on the offensive this time. He jumps into the air as the griffon flaps his wings. Alister was expecting this and disappears before appearing behind the griffon. With his arm slashers extend as he cuts through the griffon's left and right wing. He growls as he slams into the ground. While sparking a bit he stands to his feet as he howls in pain before pulling his wings off. 

Alister is a bit surprised by this. He throws his wings at Alister like a sharp knife. Alister dodges one but the other slices through his armor straight to his stomach. As the wing sticks into the building behind Alister's blood runs from the blade. He falls to the ground in pain as the griffon closes in on him. He looks up as the griffon growls. He starts to grow two more wings to replace the last two. 

"I told you to leave. Everyone always wants to die like a foolish hero." the griffon tells him before raising his left claw. He strikes but Alister is gone. Across the street he spots Black Rockman with someone else. 

"Thanks for the help Blake." says Alister as he struggles to get up. Blake stands next to him helping him stand. 

"I thought I heard an explosion. Are you going to be alright?" Blake asks taking notice to the amount of blood on the ground already. Alister nods as his wound suddenly heals itself scaring Blake a bit. 

"He's strong, we'll have to do this together." Alister tells him. 

Blake nods in agreement, as they prepare to attack as a team for the first time. The griffon growls again at this sight. Alister charges towards him then disappears suddenly. Blake follows up with many quick jabs to the griffon's stomach. He breaks off before Alister appears behind and slashes the griffons back as well as his left side. To pay him back from before. The griffon still stands strong waiting for their next attack. Alister goes into a series of punches and kicks followed up with a sabot attack to knock him towards Blake. 

He dashes towards the griffon at great speed and kicks while looking like a lightning bolt. He crashes into him and sends him flying down the street into the building with the alloy. They wait for a sign that he's been defeated. It shocks them when he walks out of the building without a single scratch on him. 

"How is that possible?! We didn't even put a dent in him!" shouts Blake. 

"Nor will you ever. My body is as hard as this alloy behind me! I am just as strong as well! Allow me to show you what I mean!" the griffon shouts walking towards them. 

Alister attempts to attack his back again but the griffon turns around expecting this and slashes towards Alister. He cuts through to Alister's skin again leaving a claw mark on his chest. Blake runs towards him for more quick jabs. The griffon blocks all of his attacks then kicks him back. He flips over and slides along the ground. While behind him Alister takes notice to a small opening where his wings come from. He very quickly extends his arm slashers again and jumps on the griffon's back. 

"It's pointless Black Rockman! You can't hurt me!" he tells him again. 

"Maybe not on the outside! How about this inside of your armor?!" Alister yells as he jabs his glowing arm slashers into his back. The griffon for the first time roars out in pain as he falls to his knees on the ground. Blake and Alister walk up to him. 

"How dare YOU do that to ME!!" he roars in anger. Alister and Blake are shocked as he stands to his feet and throws his arms to the side. A shockwave shoots out of his body and knocks the two heroes back. They roll across the ground as the griffon goes to get the alloy that he came for. 

"Consider yourselves lucky my mission was not to kill you!" he says before flying away with a very large block full of the alloy. Alister and Blake lie on the ground defeated and wounded. The shockwave dealt massive damage to their bodies. Before the law arrives they slip away. 

End of Chapter 12


	14. Chapter 13: Attack of The Griffon

Rockman ZW  
Chapter 13: Attack of The Griffon 

The next morning after being defeated by the mysterious griffon Alister is confused as to why the griffon didn't he finish the fight. Instead the griffon flew off with the alloy. As Angeline leaves the hotel to gather food for their upcoming trip Alister pulls out his communicator. 

"This is Alister calling Guardian HQ, come in Praire." Alister says while sitting down in a chair near the window. 

Still rubbing his sore spots from the fight as he gets some static before recieving a reply. He tells her of what happened and how badly he and the new hero were defeated. Feeling concerned Praire agrees to Alister's request for help, Vent would be there soon. 

"Don't do anything drastic Alister, wait for the backup before you engage in any fight with that griffon character. I'll do my part and look into who he is, take care." she tells him as he turns the communicator off. 

With Vent on his way there he could rest a bit easier than before. The griffon only took a quarter of the titanium alloy so it's possible he would be back. Alister knew he had to be dealt with before they left the next morning. A knock at the door gets Alister standing to his feet. He looks to see who it is as Blake stands there with a frustrated look on his face. He opens the door and lets him inside before rushing to shut the door behind him. 

"What is it Blake?" asks Alister as he goes to get a drink for them. He comes back with a bottle of juice for Blake and a glass of water for himself. 

"I was wanting to talk to you about yesterday. Have you ever been beaten that badly before?" asks Blake. Alister nods to his question before taking a drink from his water. 

"I have but it wasn't by any bad guy. It was actually by a friend of mine who happens to be part of the Guardian's." replies Alister as Blake seemed shocked to hear this. 

"Why would your friend beat you that badly?" he asks with a curious look. 

"Long story, but he is on our side. His name is Vent and he is on his way here to help us as I speak." mentions Alister while he takes another drink from his water. Blake jumps up in excitement at the thought of a Guardian coming to help them. 

"That's great! We'll be able to beat that griffon then!" shouts Blake almost spilling his drink on the floor. 

"Well it better happen before tomorrow morning." Alister says while walking into the kitchen. Blake follows a bit curious of what he just said. 

"What do you mean? You're going to leave tomorrow morning knowing that you'd be leaving Gears City unprotected?!" Blake shouts grabbing Alister's shirt. Alister puts the glass down he was holding and looks Blake in the eyes. 

"Gears City has a protector and his name is Model B. The last I recalled you were Model B correct?" Alister counters as Blake lets go of his shirt and takes a step back. 

"Well I…" Blake starts before Alister puts the dishes away. 

"You what? You have to start somewhere Blake as nobody is great or awesome right off the bat with anything. You'll do a fine job at protecting this city, I'm sure of it." Alister tells Blake as they hear the door to the room open. They return to the living room to see Angeline carrying large bags full of food and drinks. The two rush to help her before she drops everything all over the floor. 

"Thanks… who's this Alister?" she asks while sitting down and wiping the sweat off of her forehead. 

"This is Blake. He is someone else with the power to use a Live Metal." answers Alister while taking notice that she did not get him the right type of water. 

"I was just on my way out. I'm sure you two have things to do so I won't get in the way. It was nice to meet you miss... later Alister." Blake says leaving the room in a hurry. 

Angeline turns to Alister greeting him with a smile. He goes to the kitchen to fetch her a glass of water since she has been at the grocery store getting them food. Hotel prices can be way too pricy for sure. When he comes back he finds her sleeping while sitting in the chair, he smiles and sets the glass next to the chair. He walks over to the chair next to the window and takes a seat. He sits there going over the griffons moves in his mind, trying to find a weakness besides his backside. Surely the griffon was going to be expecting an attack from behind him now. Over and over he goes into deep thought over the griffons attack and patterns. 

"You're in deep thought Alister." Model ZW speaks up causing Alister to lose focus a bit. 

"Yes I am. Do you blame me? I can't figure out a way to beat this guy." thinks Alister as he turns to look at Angeline resting. 

"I can tell that you have been thinking for nearly an hour now. Blake is clearly in thought about it as well. You two need to work together if you are going to beat this griffon." says Model ZW. 

"Thank you for that obvious statement." Alister says aloud with a frustrated look to his face. 

"Did you say something Alister?" asks a woken up Angeline as Alister looks towards her while she stands up while rubbing her eyes and yawning. 

"No I didn't say anything. Just thinking out loud I suppose." Alister answers while standing up. He faces her as a shadow slowly rises behind them. Alister turns around to see the griffon getting ready to flap his large wings to attack them from outside. 

"Angeline!!" yells Alister as he dives to protect her. 

With a mighty gust the glass shatters and breaks into tiny pieces and chunks. As the glass flies past them while on the ground Alister is struck by many of the pieces of sharp glass. Nothing serious but enough to make Alister shout out in pain. Chuckling to himself the griffon flies off as Alister removes the bits of glass from his body. Alister runs towards the window and watches as his foe flies away laughing out loud to himself. 

"Alister are you alright?!" panics Angeline as she nears him, taking notice of the blood on his clothes. 

"Go to the lobby and stay there! Let the hotel manager know what happened and tell him I was already out! Go now!" Alister says before transforming into Black Rockman. 

He disappears just then as Angeline sighs before running out of the room. Flying high above the city the griffon is keeping his eye out for Black Rockman. Alister suddenly appears above him and slams his leg into the griffon's back. This sends the griffon flying down towards the ground. Before crashing the griffon turns around and lands safely while Alister appears in front of him. 

"Looks like you're out of luck Black Rockman… I'm here to claim your head this time!" the griffon growls. 

"How about a name? You know me as Black Rockman, I'd like to know your name griffon." Alister returns with a sharp tone. 

"You can call me Mighty Leo." the beast snarls while gritting his teeth. 

"That's it? That was the best name you could come up with?" Alister smarts off as Blake shows up already transformed. 

"So you're both here... that's good for me... let the bloodshed begin!" roars Mighty Leo as he rushes them. 

They dodge but his wings are razor sharp. They nearly lost a body part in that attack. Alister is not taking this attack very well as the griffon is moving differently than before. He is not using the same moves that Alister can recall. Could Mighty Leo possibly be doing this to throw them off? The griffon flies into the air and prepares to flap his wings as Alister disappears. Mighty Leo grins as he stops his attack to turn around and grab Alister by his neck. He roars as he hurls him at the ground. He crashes with amazing force nearly knocking Alister out. 

"Alister!" shouts Blake as he charges towards Mighty Leo as the beast grunts. 

He jumps high into the air and actually picks up speed. While raising his fist he continues to gain speed. By looks he has actually turned into a bolt of lightning. He crashes into the beast and knocks him backwards before Blake proceeds to see if Alister is alright. He lands on the ground and runs towards Alister who is struggling to stand on his feet. 

The griffon gets in between him and his downed ally before he slashes towards Blake who is barely able to avoid each slash. Blake suddenly counters with a powerful punch with his right arm with the dagger extended. This shoots a bolt of eletric power through the griffon. Mighty Leo staggers backwards as he shakes his arm back and forth. 

"Not that impressive human!" he growls before focusing his energy like the day before. 

Alister takes notice to this and disappears before the shockwave could hit Blake, Alister appears in front of him and then disappears with Blake. Appearing on a building not that far from the griffon they make the choice to try and attack again. The griffon looks around for them but nothing to be found. Suddenly he's hit from behind with a powerful kick, He turns around to see nothing. As he turns he is hit from behind yet again. 

He can catch a glance at Alister and Blake but can't keep up with them. They continue to attack from behind until he stops turning around to attempt a counter. Alister makes the mistake of attacking first and meets with his claw. He flies backwards as Blake soon meets with him. They both struggle to stand as Mighty Leo walks towards them laughing with his right claw in front of his face. 

"See what I mean? You're both going to die now because of your foolishness. As soon as I'm done with you two I'm going to finish off that girl that was with Black Rockman before, just because I can." Mighty Leo says with a smirk across his face. Alister slams his right fist into the ground before jumping to his feet. 

"You will NOT!!" he screams as his arm slashers begin to glow. As they extend they grow larger than normal. Alister rushes towards the griffon with both arms out. The griffon goes to attack with his right claw as Alister begins to spin rapidly after jumping into the air. Blake watches as Alister's attack collides with Mighty Leo's claw. 

"I won't let you hurt her!!" Alister yells while continuing his attack. 

"Still not good enough human!!" roars Mighty Leo as he pushes Alister back with a slash from his left claw. 

Flying backwards he slides along the ground before Mighty Leo falls to one knee due to the power he had to focus to push Alister back. Alister is not even able stand this time, he's completely drained of his energy. Blake attempts an attack on the griffon but is thrown back as well. The two of them watch as he closes in raising his claws towards them. Just then a shot hits the left thigh of Mighty Leo causing him to roar out in pain. He staggers backwards and looks into the distance to see what hit him. 

"Target locked on." says a figure in the distance with a smirk across his face. 

End of Chapter 13


	15. Chapter 14: Khan

Rockman ZW  
Chapter 14: Khan 

As the figure in the distance walks closer Mighty Leo staggers to his feet. while basically roaring the entire time. The first sign of a weakness in this enemy as Alister and Blake watch the newest fighter walk closer to them. They can make out two cannons on his shoulders and two cannons mounted to his arms. The colors are green and red. His helmet looks like Model X's helmet only with a red stripe going across his forehead, with a face mask on that is green. He also has a missile pod on each leg that carry at least six missiles per pod. Mighty Leo does not seem happy to see this foe. 

"Model G! How dare you interrupt my work!" snarls the beast as Model G simply stakes aim. 

"You kill innocent people and have the nerve to ask me that?!" Model G shouts before firing his two arm cannons. 

Mighty Leo uses his arms to block as the blasts hit him directly. He is shot backwards and crashes into a building across the street while Alister and Blake watch as the cannons on Model G's arms fall off, as well as the cannons on his back. 

Model G runs towards the griffon who is basically licking his wounds at the moment. He jumps onto the beast and fires his missiles at point blank range. Before the explosion could hit Model G he suddenly boosts backwards. The griffon survives the explosion but very injured. 

"I'll be back for you two another time…" he says as he flies off. Model G walks up to Alister and Blake and offers them a hand to stand up. 

"Hello Alister. How is Angeline doing?" Model G asks with a sparkle in his left eye. 

"And you are…?" cautiously asks Alister. 

"Let's talk somewhere… more private." he suggests before Alister and Blake nod in agreement. They quickly get away from the scene of the crime not wanting to be spotted there by the local police force. They go to the burned building of the trading center to avoid the eyes of the public. 

"I take it he knows you Alister?" asks Blake while Alister just shrugs his shoulders. Model G turns around and transforms back to normal to reveal that Model G is Jake Waters. Alister transforms back to normal as well before shaking hands with him. 

"When Guardian HQ mentioned they were sending help I didn't think it would be you Jake. How did you manage to come across a Live Metal?" Alister questions as Blake returns to normal next to them. 

"That's for another chat my friend, I'm here to help you get rid of that griffon." Jake tells them. 

"Well we really couldn't do anything to him before you showed up. So it doesn't seem like you need any of our help." Blake speaks up with an aggravated look. 

"Grand-Standing is the worse thing you can do against this kind of enemy." counters Jake. 

"But you were-" starts Blake before Jake puts his right hand on Blake's left shoulder. 

"Providing support. That was not grand-standing a minute ago. You two were on the ground about to be killed, I was doing my best to keep you alive… mainly because I know this enemy well. Mighty Leo killed innocent children because of my mistakes in the past… I can't let him do that again." Jake says with a very serious look. 

"So you're after revenge? Or is it justice? Or to make yourself feel better about it?" asks Alister with his right eye brow raised. 

"I call it justice. But what I call justice… Others may call it revenge. So what is the difference in justice and revenge? They are really no different than the other. In this world right is wrong and wrong is right, it's simply up to you what you make of it." replies Jake. Alister knew this already but for some reason it came to shock him. 

"That's nice but talking about revenge and justice won't help us beat that griffon." Blake mentions. 

"He's right you know. Let's go back to my hotel room so we can all talk about this in comfort. I'm sure Angeline would like to see her old friend as well." Alister says before transforming again. The other two do the same and follow him. They walk into the hotel back to normal as Angeline runs up to Alister, taking notice of Jake with him. 

"Jake! It's good to see you again!" she shouts giving him a hug. 

"Angeline! How is Alister treating you?" questions Jake. 

"He treats me just fine… don't sound like my father…" she replies with a teenage look. 

"Angeline what did they say about our hotel room?" Alister says walking up to her. 

"They gave us a room that's down the hallway from it. I haven't gone up there to look yet because I was waiting on you to get back." she tells him with a smile. 

"It looks like we'll have guests as well." says Alister as they head up to the room. As they walk through the door Alister takes notice to how much larger the room is. This time there are two beds instead of one, giving Alister hope to sleep well tonight. 

"Looks like you don't have to sleep on the floor anymore Alister." Angeline jokes as Alister chuckles to himself. They talk for some time while going over things about Mighty Leo that Alister has noticed, as well as the experience Jake has had with him. Blake is sitting on the floor while Alister and Angeline are both sitting in the same chair next to Jake. 

"The only thing I do not know about the griffon is who he is working for. Every time I fight him he is always going on about how it is his mission, or he was told to do this or that." Jake mentions. 

"Now that you mention that he does say that a lot." Blake brings up while crossing his arms. 

"The only way to beat Mighty Leo is to all attack at the same time. He's too strong to attack by yourself. If you do that he will overwhelm you in an instant." Jake says while taking a drink from his glass of water. 

"So now that we know what to do... what do we do?" questions Blake with a serious look. 

"The only thing we can do... wait." Alister replies while closing his eyes. All of them nod in agreement as Angeline brings some food for them to eat. The three gladly take the food as they are very hungry. The four of them enjoy their meal as time flies by while talking among themselves. 

Far away inside of a dark forest Mighty Leo is walking through the bushes and cutting his way through the tree limbs. He makes his way towards a cave that has a small rock next to it, he pushes it to the side which reveals a switch under it. He twists the switch then walks inside of the cave while folding his wings. 

Still very damaged from the fight with Model G he suddenly disappears from the cave and appears inside of what looks like a mansion. There are pictures of cities everywhere as well as the maps for each of those cities under them. He staggers towards a liquid pool that's glowing yellow. Mighty Leo jumps in with a growl while thinking of his previous fight. As the liquid from the pool flows over onto the floor a pair of eyes watches him from the shadows. 

"I see you have failed Mighty Leo." says the figure while Mighty Leo turns around to see someone that is nearly the same size as Alister standing there. If not a little bit taller than Alister. He's wearing a black cloak with a hood so he cannot be seen visually. 

"I have failed you Master Khan… I am sorry." Mighty Leo says as he gets out of the healing pool just to kneel before him. Khan puts his hand on the griffon's shoulder as Mighty Leo looks up at his master. 

"It's not like you to fail a mission like that. Please heal yourself while you explain Mighty Leo, don't over do it." his master tells him. Mighty Leo crawls back into the pool with a sigh of relief. 

"It was Model G again Master. I was about to crush those other two Rockman until he showed up saving them." explains Mighty Leo while 

" I see. This Model G has become a problem for us. Maybe it's time I meet them in person." Khan mentions as Mighty Leo looks at him with a shocked expression. 

"You are going to the battlefield Master?" asks the griffon as Khan turns around before walking off. 

"Yes Mighty Leo. It's time that the world knew what the wrath of Khan is like." he replies as he fades into the darkness. Mighty Leo relaxes as he continues to heal. Slowly his armor is being restored piece by piece as the liquid soaks into his body. 

Back in Gears City it's quiet in Alister's room. As he lies down on the bed attempting to rest while Blake and Jake are resting on the chairs as Angeline is washing dishes. Alister can't sleep however as he soon gets up and walks out of the room. 

"Alister?" Angeline thinks as she watches the door close behind him. 

Alister walks out of the building and puts his hands in his pockets. He walks around while thinking to himself...why is he still here? Just the last day he had planned on leaving without dealing with the griffon. Now he has a feeling that something has changed, as if it's his destiny to be in this city for the moment. 

As he walks by the people in the streets one strikes his attention. A person in a black cloak walks past him and heads towards the alley near them. Alister turns around to follow him but as soon as he looks down the alley the person has vanished without a trace, confused he continues with his walk. He looks around to see the people going on with their lives thinking about what would happen to them if he left. He knows that Blake could protect them… but could he chance leaving? Clouded by many thoughts Alister is still not sure of what to do. 

People begin to scream and rush past Alister as he realizes what is going on at the moment. The griffon is back and causing trouble again in the city. He walks past the corner to see if he can spot Mighty Leo. A shocked expression hits Alister's face as the griffon is attacking innocent people, throwing them up against the walls, running them through with his claws and cutting their limbs off one at a time. Alister clenches his fists as he begins to shake and tremble with anger while gritting his teeth.

"Alister… do not act out of hate or anger. It will be your own demise." Model ZW tells him. 

Not caring about the people around him he transforms and rushes towards Mighty Leo. The griffon takes notice and picks up a small child which stops Alister dead in his tracks in front of the griffon. There is a look of fire in Alister's eyes as the griffon laughs. 

"I see you have a weak spot. Just die and you won't have to see the death of this little one!" Mighty Leo taunts. Suddenly Alister begins to tremble again, but this time his arm slashers begin to glow as well. The griffon begins to laugh as he watches this. 

"You haven't been able to hurt me in the past! What makes you think you will now?" questions the griffon while raising his left eye brow. 

The little girl has been crying the entire time begging for her life to be spared. Mighty Leo finally gets tired of hearing it and crushes her in his hand. As the innocent little girl goes silent Alister suddenly snaps. He lunges forward with his arm slasher aimed at Mighty Leo's head. The griffon quickly grabs the slasher right before it hits his head. As he holds the slasher his hands are starting to heat up before they finally begin to burn. Alister very quickly pulls back causing Mighty Leo much pain as Black Rockman disappears then appears behind the griffon with a quick attack of punches. 

"You can't hurt me! Give it up!" roars the griffon. 

Suddenly he can feel pain where Alister is punching. The armor on his back begins to fly of by the chunks while Alister picks up in speed and power. Mixed in with those punches are several slashes from his arm slashers. Mighty Leo cannot move due to the pain as Alister can then see the inside of Mighty Leo. He jabs forward as the griffon roars out in pain. 

Mighty Leo can see the tip of Alister's arm blade sticking through his chest. As the griffon falls over completely Alister continues to slash at his body. Blake and Jake show up to help but find out Alister is doing fine without their help… or is he? They rush up to Alister and attempt to stop his savage attacks.

"I'll kill you!!" Alister screams at the griffon. 

"What iss wrong with you?! Get a hold of yourself!" Jake shouts at him.

Mighty Leo is still somehow moving as he struggles to sit up. Alister pushes them to the side and attacks Mighty Leo once again, forcing the griffon back to the ground. Blake tackles Alister to make him stop and attempts to hold him down. When he looks into his eyes he can only see red. The Alister they know was not in control. 

"This is for your own good Alister!" Blake yells before punching Alister right in the face. There is a moment of silence before the red in Alister's eyes suddenly vanish. Blake gets off of him to let him stand up hoping he wouldn't remember the punch he just gave him. 

"What just happened…?" asks Alister as he looks around. He spots Mighty Leo growling and moaning in pain. 

"You did this. All by yourself." Jake tells him. 

"I don't recall a single thing…" Alister says before taking notice to the pool of blood on the ground nearby. He gets a flashback of Mighty Leo crushing the girl in his massive hand. Alister looks towards the griffon with anger in his eyes again. 

"He… he… killed! He killed a little girl! He killed her! HE KILLED HER!!" Alister flips as he rushes towards the griffon again.

"Whoa… he's gone crazy on us..." Blake says as Alister rushes towards the griffon. Before he could reach Mighty Leo a figure steps in his path. Alister remembers him as the black cloak that walked past him before. 

"Impressive Black Rockman… or should I say Zerowing? Yes... I believe that is what you are called." speaks Khan. Shocked to hear this Alister stops in front of the cloaked figure. 

"How do you know that?" Alister asks as Blake and Jake run up beside them. 

"Oh… I know all about you. As well as your friends here. Model B also known as Bolt, student of the head Guardian Harpuia. Model G named Gunner after his master Fefnir saw his talents for marksmanship. Finally Model ZW, called Zerowing by his ninja master Phantom. The elite of the elite." Khan tells them with an evil laugh that followed. 

"Just who are you?" Jake questions him. 

"I am Khan, Mighty Leo is my follower. He does as I say without question." he tells them. 

"You're the one always telling this guy to kill innocent people and to destroy homes?" Jake shouts.

"I am." replies Khan. Jake doesn't wait another second after hearing this. He fires his four cannons at Khan without hesitation. Khan holds up his hand and the beams reflect off of him, hitting everything behind him. 

"What?!" Jake yells. Khan then rushes up to Jake and places his hands on his chest plate. 

"Surely you can do better?" mocks Khan before energy forms in his hands. He then blasts Jake at point blank range. Jake flies backwards knocked out from both the blast and the pain. 

"Jake!" shouts Blake as he rushes to help. 

"How about it Zerowing? Are you going to try and attack me?" Khan mocks again as Alister is silent. Just then Angeline runs up behind them all, looking for Alister. 

"Alister!" she cries as Khan turns around. 

"Alister… is it? I see… You have beaten my best soldier, that is the same as killing him to me. Now I will take that which you dear the most!" Khan says before fading away. He then appears behind Angeline as Alister now has a look of anger once again.

"Let her go this instant!!" Alister demands while he extends his arm slashers. Khan places his hand over Angeline's mouth as she trembles in fear. 

"Farewell Zerowing… no… Alister. The next time we meet you will regret ever loving this pretty girl." Khan says before disappearing with Angeline still in his arms. Mighty Leo also fades away as if he was linked with Khan. 

"NO!!" Alister screams at the top of his lungs as he punches the ground, causing a deep impact. 

"I did this! I did all of this! If I hadn't of acted out of anger and attacked Mighty Leo like I did… Angeline would be safe… it's all my FAULT!!" Alister thinks as holds his head, swinging it back and forth. 

"Alister! Jake hasn't moved yet!" Blake shouts before Alister jumps to his feet and rushes towards him. He can see that most of the Model's armor is missing. Blood covers his entire body which means his life was in danger. His cannons are destroyed as well as his helmet. 

"Jake! Wake up Jake! Come on Jake wake UP!!" Alister yells. 

End of Chapter 14


	16. Chapter 15: The Search

Rockman ZW  
Chapter 15: The Search 

Running across a field Jake finds himself lost, confused, afraid he continues to run through the grassy plains. He can hear laughter echoing through the field as it is getting louder and louder, until finally the laughter gets so loud he has to cover his ears up. He swirls his head around and round until finally the laughing stops. Jake opens his eyes wide before lifting his head up and looks around. 

There is a slight breeze as storm clouds begin to form in the sky suddenly. The ground begins to shake with a tremendous might as Jake starts to run in the other direction. The ground begins to break apart while Jake finds himself jumping from one spot to another. Finally a lightning bolt strikes in front of him throwing him back. He stands up to see that the only piece of land left if the one he's standing on. As he panics and looks around the sky grows darker and darker. 

The laughing starts again as Jake swings his head from the left to the right attempting to find the source before a figure appears in front of Jake. Khan is the one who is laughing at him. As Jake takes notice to Khan he transforms into Model G with his arm cannons aimed towards his enemy. Khan continues to laugh before rushing towards him. Jake guards as Khan pushes him off of the only piece of ground left. As he falls into the darkness he lets out a loud shout. 

Jake wakes inside of a hospital room in a cold sweat, his heart is racing and he doesn't know what is going on at the moment. He looks around to see all sorts of equipment hooked up to him. He looks at his body to find minor cuts on him. His arm is in a cast but that is about it. He watches the door open as Blake steps through the door. 

"Jake! Hey Rose! Jake is awake now! Come quick!" he shouts through the hallways. 

Jake rests his head on his pillow and closes his eyes knowing he was only dreaming. Minutes later the nurse, along with Blake, Vent, Aile and Praire are all in the room with the marksman. 

"Where… am I?" questions Jake as Praire walks closer to the bed and sits down. 

"You're back at the Guardian Head Quarters Jake. Alister and Blake brought you here, you were in a bad enough shape." she tells him. 

"It was mostly Alister who did the work, after all it was his transport that got you here quickly." adds Blake from the foot of his bed. 

"You've been out for about two days now." says Aile with a worried look to her face. 

"What happened Jake? Maybe you could tell us something since Alister didn't tell us anything at all. Just that Angeline is missing and he left to find her." says Vent as Jake quickly opens his eyes wide. 

"Angeline is missing?!" he shouts quickly sitting upwards. Praire pushes him back down before he could hurt himself. 

"Please be careful Jake… you may feel better but your body may not. Try not to move so much, and give your body a rest." Rose tells him. 

Jake takes a deep breath then explains to them how they met Khan, the one in charge of Mighty Leo. He tells them that he could not see his face, only hear his voice, and feel his power. 

"You were hit hard, but as odd as it sounds you're not hurt that badly. You have a broken arm but nothing else. When they brought you in you were still transformed. Judging by the way your armor looked… Model G saved your life. That must be why you only have a broken arm." Praire states. 

"I'm afraid there is something else I must tell you all…" Rose speaks up from behind them in the doorway. 

"Then tell me what it is Rose." Jake tells her before she nods her head. 

"I'm afraid… the damage was done to Jake as well as Model G." she says while looking down at the floor. 

"What do you mean?" asks Blake now with a worried look as well. 

"Jake will recover but Model G may not, and even if Model G is fixed… Jake can never transform again. The stress would be too much… if he transforms again… it will kill him." she tells everyone. Jake was silent, he didn't know what to say. 

"Well… we should all leave so Jake can rest." Praire says standing up. Everyone walks out of the room as Blake gives Jake a look of sorrow. Lying there silent Jake thinks to himself, he would go through all of that again if only Angeline was safe. He wonders what Alister is going through right now. 

Alister finds himself walking up on a city that has no name. It is filled with green plants and looks full of life, but not a soul in sight. The buildings are all cracked and look aged. Some buildings have no roof while others have walls missing. Alister is wearing a cloak to get him past his journey. As he walks into the city or small town he takes notice to people hiding from him. 

For two days now Alister has been looking for Angeline. No food nor water has entered his mouth, he's tired and worn out, driven by his search for Angeline. He spots a bar not too far from him so he walks towards it. As he walks in he looks around at how broken down and nearly destroyed the place looks. The people inside look at him as he enters. Not the friendly type of crowd, but Alister knew if he was going to find Khan he needed to search the low places as well. 

He sits down on a stool near a big guy with a bulging stomach. The bartender walks up to him, wearing a t-shirt that looks very worn out. His hair is messed up and is cleaning a dirty glass with a dirty rag. 

"What will you have then?" he asks Alister with a emotionless glare. 

"Just some water, if you have any that's clean here." Alister replies as the man next to him chuckles while horking down his food. 

The bartender huffs about the comment but goes to get his glass of water. Alister watches him as he pours the water into his glass, being careful with what he puts in his mouth. The bartender comes back with the glass and almost slams it down. Alister flips him a coin of gold which shocks the bartender. 

"Are you sure you want to pay me with this?" he asks while rubbing the gold coin. 

"If you can help me, I'll be happy to give you more." Alister tells him before sipping from his glass of water. "Good water." he adds with a smile. 

"What kind of help would that be stranger?" the bartender questions. 

"I'm looking for someone by the name of Khan. Have you heard of him?" Alister asks him as everyone in the bar stops what they are doing at the moment. Even the big guy next to him stops eating his burger with a piece of it still hanging out of his mouth. 

"You're barking up the wrong tree stranger, I suggest you just leave Khan alone. Why do you want to find him anyways?" he asks with a shocked look. 

"He kidnapped someone very special to me, I have been searching for Khan for nearly three days now. I'm hungry, I'm tired, and I am still thirsty." Alister replies. 

"Sorry but I can't help you. Maybe those guys standing behind you will." the bartender says while ducking behind the counter. Alister turns around to see four very large guys standing there, each of them cracking their knuckles. 

"I suggest you leave. Get out of this place and don't come back punk!" one tells him. 

"Have some manners, I asked a question that's all." Alister says while getting another drink. 

Suddenly one of them grabs his glass of water and throws it against the wall on the other side of the room. Some people run out of the bar, Some stay so they can watch the fight that is about to happen. The four men laugh as Alister stands up and walks into the middle of the four guys. 

"You want to do something about that little guy?" another asks. 

"All in matching uniforms too. You guys know about Khan I take it?" Alister asks them as the four walk closer. 

"What if we do you little pansy? There is nothing you can do about it!" a third one tells him before pushing him against the counter. 

Alister takes his cloak off before putting it down on the counter. As soon as he turns around he punches one of the big guys in the stomach. The other three try to grab him but he is too fast for them to act. He is suddenly above them kicking at their heads. The one that he had punched in the stomach grabs a stool and hurls it towards Alister. It crashes into him and sends him flying into the wall.

"That's it... now I'm mad!!" Alister shouts while hurling the stool back at the group. 

Alister knows he could transform and take them out without another thought about it, but he had to avoid doing that to keep his cover. He runs back towards the group of large men who continue to throw things at him. Alister dodges a stool at one moment, then a table at another. As he gets closer he jumps into the air and drop kicks the large guy on the left. Quickly kicking the feet out from underneath the one in the middle, he jumps off of his stomach and back kicks another. 

He flies into a group of tables and breaks them all. Suddenly the last guy grabs Alister and squeezes, Alister can't breath, nor can he move to literally save his life. The man laughs as he can tell victory is almost in his grasp. Alister suddenly falls down to the ground as the man that had him in a hold falls backwards. Alister looks back to see the fat guy standing over him extending his hand to him. 

"Thanks for the help…" Alister speaks as he regains himself. 

"You're looking for your girl right? Anyone who searches out of love is alright in my book! Does everyone have that understood?!" he yells throughout the bar. Everyone sits down and acts like nothing happened, even the four guys go back to eating their food. Although those four were also rubbing their sore areas now. 

"Do you know something about Khan… what's your name?" Alister asks him. 

"Call me Bruce kid. And you are…?" Bruce asks in return. 

"I'd… rather not say at the moment. Please just tell me what you know about Khan and I will be out of your way forever." Alister tells him. Bruce tells the bartender to give him a burger with a glass of water. 

As Alister eats Bruce explains to him that nobody has really even seen Khan. They only get orders from Mighty Leo on what to do and they only know that they work for Khan. 

"Where do you normally meet Mighty Leo for these orders?" questions Alister as he finishes his meal. 

"Inside of the jungle behind this town, Mighty Leo meets us near a cave. I don't know what he has to do with that cave, but if you hunt around there you should be able to find something out kid." Bruce tells him as Alister puts his cloak back on and calls for the bartender. He hands him a pile of gold coins. 

"That's for all of the damage done here today, I'm sorry for the problem." Alister says before walking out. Bruce follows him close behind before stopping near the entrance to the jungle. 

"Good luck kid! You're going to need it!" he shouts after him. 

Alister turns back around to wave then runs into the jungle with his cloak flipping in the wind. Bruce walks back inside and sits down, as a figure sits down next to him and slides to him a very large bag full of credits. 

"That was good acting on your part Bruce, you even had me fooled to a point." says the figure. 

"Thank you Master Khan. He is going to die in that jungle, and it made me very rich to lead him into that trap!" Bruce laughs to himself as he orders drinks for everyone. Khan stands up and exits laughing to himself. 

"Come to me Alister. Meet with your destiny…" Khan mutters to himself as he disappears.

End of Chapter 15


	17. Chapter 16: The Hunt: Lost

Rockman ZW  
Chapter 16: The Hunt: Lost 

Alister is pacing himself through the jungle searching for this cave that Bruce had mentioned before. It is raining in the jungle and Alister is drenched. The water sometimes pours into his vision as he wipes his eyes to get the water out. While walking through the jungle he steps into a very deep hole which is filling with mud very quickly. 

Alister holds his right arm up and aims towards a tree not that far away. His wrist grapple fires out and latches around the tree limb, assuring his safety. He pulls on the rope and climbs out of the mud. With his cloak is covered in the mud, he just drops it to avoid carrying anything heavy around. Suddenly the limb breaks and he falls down to the ground.

He kicks the tree to slant his fall and starts rolling towards a cliff. While grabing a hold of another tree before falling off, small rocks roll past him and down below to what seemed like a very long fall. Regaining his foot hold Alister looks around and takes notice of a cave in the distance, hoping it would be the cave he was searching for. The only problem is that the cave is below him where he would have fallen a moment ago. With a sigh of frustration he latches his grapple to the tree and begins his climb down. The mist is making it hard for him to breath as well as hard to hold onto the rope. 

At times he slips but quickly gets a grasp on the rope again. Half an hour later he finally reaches the bottom of the cliff, at what seemed like a forever climb down. The cave is nowhere to be found as he walks forward in hopes of coming across the cave. There is a sudden silence as wild animals surround him in hopes to get a quick meal. They are a pack of solid black panthers, each of them glaring and snarling at Alister. 

They leap forward while slashing as Alister rolls to the side before running off. The panthers begin their chase after him, but Alister is even a step ahead of wild animals. He tosses a handful of flash grenades to the ground, as the panthers run up to them they give off a brilliant flash of light that blinds the panthers. He gets a good distance from the panthers before stoping for a quick breather. 

"Man… I don't like cats very much." Alister mutters as he pants for air. 

He takes a deep breath as he looks at the sky, the rain is letting up as the sun starts to shine throughout the jungle. He stands in the sunlight to get warmed up for a little bit before going on. As he starts walking forward again birds seem to fill the air suddenly. Realizing this is always a bad sign he looks to his left and right before looking upwards. 

Alister watches them as they fly off, finding it odd he continues. As he walks between two trees a large block rushes towards him from the left and right. He jumps into the air as the blocks crash into each other. Alister lands on top of the blocks then leaps off. A loud crash could be heard from behind as he looks to see what it is and finds a large boulder heading his way. 

"Oh for crying out loud…" he sighs before running off. 

Avoiding each and every limb Alister jumps and ducks as the boulder gets closer and closer. Finally Alister twirls around with a small jump and throws a grenade at the boulder. As it is crushed under the boulder it flies into the air. Alister looks back to see it falling towards him with tremendous force. 

"Now that I think about it… that was a bad idea." he thinks before stopping dead in his tracks. 

The boulder hits the ground and continues along its path, carving a path in the jungle for Alister to follow. It leads towards the cave that he spotted before. He can also make out Mighty Leo standing in front of the cave. Mighty Leo spots the boulder heading his way and slashes towards it. 

It falls apart as Mighty Leo looks around with a curious look before walking into the cave. Alister quickly peeks into the cave to watch Mighty Leo disappear while walking into the darkness. Alister does the same thing but just reaches the end of the cave. He searches the inside of the cave in every spot possible. 

He walks back outside of the cave and sits on the rock. It slides backwards almost throwing Alister off of it. He finds it odd that a rock that heavy would just slide backwards like that. He slides it further to the side and finds a switch inside, he twists it but nothing happens, another odd thing about the cave. He walks back inside while scratching his head. Suddenly he is in what looks like a mansion. A bit confused he instantly goes to hide from open view. An alarm goes off as if him hiding was for nothing. 

"Warning! Unknown signature found! Unknown signature found! Transporter area!" the computer says throughout the mansion. 

"Crap! I need to find Angeline and get out!" Alister says running into the open. 

He runs down the hallways taking notice of the maps and pictures of the cities. He finds the pool of liquid but runs past it. As he goes past it Mighty Leo rises from the pool. He stomps his foot down and that causes Alister to turn around.

"So you came after all… you were the one to trigger the trap in the jungle I take it?" Mighty Leo questions. 

"Guilty. Although it was pretty funny seeing the expression on your face as the boulder fell apart." Alister smarts off. 

"I'm glad you enjoyed it… because I'm going to do the same thing to you human!" yells Mighty Leo as he lunges towards Alister. However Alister is not in the mood to fight. He throws a couple of flash bangs into his face and runs off. 

"I'll play with you some other time griffon! I don't have the time right now!" Alister yells as he runs off. 

Mighty Leo blinded at the moment swings his arms around in a rage, crashing into the walls and slamming his fists onto the ground. Alister continues but finds Mighty Leo in front of him again. 

"You're not going to get rid of me human! Stand your ground and fight me!" shouts Mighty Leo as he slashes down towards him. As Alister blocks the attack he transforms into Black Rockman. 

"Mighty Leo... if you insist on fighting me while I am searching for Angeline… then I won't hold back on you!" Alister shouts as he disappears. 

Mighty Leo searches the area for Alister until he finds him slashing towards him. He avoids the attack but losses one of his wings. Alister quickly attacks the other wing slashing it off. He then goes to attack his legs with slash attacks. His arm slashers begin to glow as he continues his assault. Mighty Leo crashes onto the ground with a roar of pain, looking up at Alister while growling. 

"Finish me off human." he tells Black Rockman. Alister walks up to Mighty Leo and kneels down to him and looks him in the eyes. 

"Tell me… do you agree with everything Khan does?" Alister asks him. 

"Don't insult me." the griffon responds. Alister slashes at the ground in front of Mighty Leo to try to get his attention. 

"Do you agree with everything that Khan does?" he asks again. 

"Somewhat…" Mighty Leo responds. Alister turns back to normal then runs off. Mighty Leo looks at the ground where Alister slashed. There are words on the ground where he slashed. 

"Think about your goals and Khan's. Compare them." is what the ground read. 

"Humph… dirty human." Mighty Leo growls as he crawls towards the pool. Alister finds himself inside of what looks like a throne room. He can feel a breeze goes past him as Khan appears, Angeline next to him. 

"Alister!" she shouts in hope as Khan covers her mouth. 

"Angeline! Hold on!" Alister returns before running towards her and Khan. 

"Stop." Khan speaks as Alister stops running, standing there watching Khan. 

"What do you want? There is nothing I can give you Khan!" Alister tells him. 

"I don't want anything from you, but you want something from me. How funny things can turn out to be isn't it Alister?" Khan questions. 

He disappears with Angeline suddenly as Alister searches around and finds a hallway leading to a back area, Khan appears with Angeline in that hallway. 

"It's funny how you can sound so sure of yourself, yet you're not willing to show your face you coward!" Alister shouts at him. 

Khan was silent for a moment, then removes his hood. He has long red hair and teal colored eyes. His facial expression is strong and firm. The look of death in his eyes. 

"As I have said before Alister… I like you. There is something about you that I like… I just don't know what it is. Is it your willingness to sacrifice yourself for others that amuses me? Or could it be the false hope that rests inside of your heart?" Khan asks him with a smirk. 

"The hope I carry is not false! It is simply viewed differently than others!" Alister returns. 

"Do you want Angeline back safely? I will return her to you… if you want me to that is." Khan says as Angeline moves her eyes back towards Khan. 

"Of course I want her back! I can't help but think this is a trap however…" Alister returns as Khan smiles to his reponse. 

"I give you my word that she will return safely to you. I simply wanted to talk with you for a little while, that is all." Khan tells him as he releases Angeline. She runs towards him and clings to his arms while tears run down her face. 

"Angeline! I'm so glad you're alright!" Alister says as a tear rolls down his cheek. 

"I knew you would come for me! I just…" her sentence was interrupted by a shot from behind. Angeline twirls around as graceful as ever before collapsing on the ground. Alister looks to see Khan standing there with a pistol in his right hand. 

"I said she would return to you… so that she could die in your own arms! Now you will both perish in this place!" Khan mocks as he disappears. The area around them begins to shake as rubble and pieces of the ceiling and walls begin to break apart, it was a trap. 

"Angeline! Angeline please speak to me!" Alister panics as he picks Angeline up, seeing that she was already bleeding out. 

"Al…ister… I'm sorry… I couldn't live… life with you…" Angeline tells him with tears begin to run down her face. Alister grabs hold of her and looks her in the eyes. 

"Don't say things like that! You can live through this! Just stay with me a little while longer!" Alister tells her with tears flowing from his own eyes now. 

"Alister… promise me… to keep going on… without me. To live... a life full... of peace... That is… all that... I wish for." she tells him. 

"No! I don't want to hear that!" Alister shouts shaking his head back and forth. 

"Please go on… I love you… Al…is…ter…" she finishes as there is a sudden feeling of warmness in his hands. 

She turns her head and falls into eternal rest, finally at peace. Alister sits there holding the woman he loves in his arms, still looking at her as she rests. The area around them continue to collapse. Alister doesn't seem to care, he has lost his love, his life has no meaning anymore. As the ceiling falls on top of them Alister lets out a blood lust shout for Khan.

"KHAAAN!!" 

End of Chapter 16


	18. Chapter 17: Dark Whispers

Rockman ZW  
Chapter 17: Dark Whispers…

It has been nearly two weeks since Alister has gone silent, not a single soul has heard from him nor have they come into contact with him directly. Guardian HQ has been searching for him and Angeline for the two weeks. Finally they had given up all hopes in finding them. Jake makes his way to Praire to complain about this matter. 

"What do you mean you're giving up on the search?! We can't just leave them out there to die!!" shouts Jake as everyone around them shares his feelings while Praire hangs her head. 

"I'm sorry Jake… this is all we could do for them. We just cannot lose anymore resources over this search… I'm sorry." Praire tells him while looking to the left. Jake walks up to her and places his Guardian's license on her left arm rest. 

" So am I." he says before walking out. 

"Jake!" Vent calls after as Jake continues to walk out of the door without hesitation. 

"I don't blame him to tell the truth… I feel the same way. But we just can't… we just can't search anymore!" Praire exclaims while she burries her face in the arms of Aile who is trying her best to comfort her. 

As Aile moves to comfort her Vent has other ideas. He goes to Jake's room to see if he's still there and finds him putting Model G into his bag. 

"What are you doing? You know what will happen if you use that again!" Vent shouts to him while entering the room. 

"When all is lost and there is nothing to gain... I will use Model G once again, but not until that moment has arrived will I die." Jake replies to him as Vent just scratches his forehead. 

"You always have a way with words…. So where are we going?" Vent asks him. Jake turns to him with a somewhat shocked look on his face. 

"What do you mean we?" asks Jake. 

"I know you're going to go search for Alister and Angeline, I want to help you with that search." he replies. 

"Did Praire issue this order or did you request it?" Jake continues to ask. 

"I'm not acting as a Guardian right now. Think of me as normal Vent, with a few Model's to back me up." Vent says with a wink before Jake shrugs his shoulders and walks out of the room. They walk towards the docking bay and meet with Aile. She is standing by the gate that leads to the docking bay with her arms crossed. 

"Guys… don't you think this is reckless of you?" she asks them, mainly looking at Jake. 

"He's the one that has chosen to follow me, I am making my own choices from now on." Jake tells her while walking past her. He stops and puts his hand on her shoulder. 

"Thank you for all that you have done for me Aile." he tells her before giving her a hug. Vent could clearly see the flustered look on her face as she hugs him back. Soon Jake breaks the hug and enters the docking bay. Vent walks up to the door and watches Jake climb inside of his own personal jet. 

"You should really tell him how you feel towards him." Vent speaks bluntly. 

"What are you talking about?!" she gasps. 

"Tell him how you feel, it's obvious." he tells her before walking towards the jet. 

Aile leans up against the wall as the jet flies off. She knew Vent was right but didn't know how to act on it. As soon as she gathers her thoughts she walks back towards the command room to see if Praire is alright. 

"Where are we going Jake?" Vent asks him as Jake moves his right hand over a small blue screen, bringing up a map of the entire planet of Tera. Jake then places his finger over the southeast where a red light is blinking over a jungle area. 

"Two weeks ago, according to my sources that is, there was a massive explosion that wiped out most of the jungle and a small town that was nearby. If I wanted to bet on it, I'd say that Alister had something to do with that explosion." Jake tells him as the map disappears. 

"Sounds like a plan to me. So why are you so thankful to Aile? I don't recall you two doing anything special together." Vent digs around while taking notice of his facial expressions changing. 

"She was the one that helped me in my training, Aile was my instructor. I'm surprised you didn't know that as it was in most of the training reports." Jake explains. 

"Oh right… those reports…" he says knowing well that he didn't read a single report. 

"We'll be arriving at the destination point in a couple of hours, so you might as well think of something to do other than fish around about things that don't concern you." Jake bluntly tells him while snapping his eyes towards Vent. 

"Sorry…" Vent says while rubbing the back of his head. 

As the two hours comes to an end Jake and Vent arrive at the point where the jungle should be, but all that remains is burned trees and ashes. The small town that was, is no more. Jake puts the jet into hover mode which allows him to land without an air strip. Jake lands his jet near the small town just in case they have to make a fast exit.. As they get out of the jet a horrible smell is in the air, the kind of smell that could cause the stomach to turn in place. They begin to walk through the town to find out that it is the ashes of people that smells so badly, finding bones and even broken bones everywhere. 

"It's like a small nuke has been set off here… everything is either burned or reduced to ashes. This is horrible…" Vent speaks as he can make out a smaller set of bones next to a larger set. As Jake walks up he takes notice of the pile of bones as well. 

"So… there were children here after all." Jake speaks up. 

"What do you mean after all?" questions Vent. 

"This small town was known only to a few. Those few were people who couldn't survive in the real world or they were not allowed to survive. This place is for outlaws, and no outsiders are welcomed. However, once you're considered one of them by the outside world, they also consider you one of them. They will take care of you and keep you safe like one giant family. I've had to deal with them many times before with my Waters Foundation. They sometimes take in children that have no family and give them one... That must have been the case here…" Jake explains while turning away from the pile of death. As Vent continues to look around Jake heads back to the jet to gather a few items. When he comes back to Vent he is wearing a back pack with water canteens on the sides. 

"I guess we're walking the rest of the way?" Vent asks him while nearly feeling sick to his stomach because of the smell in the air. 

As they trek though the town and enter the remains of the jungle, they notice the land beginning to change in height. They've entered a crater sooner or later, that was most likely caused by the explosion. It takes them nearly half an hour to reach the very bottom. All they can see is a pool of strange liquid that is resting at the bottom as Vent and Jake look around to see nothing. 

"I wonder what this stuff is…? It's not water that's for sure…" Vent mutters to himself as he bends down. He reaches towards the liquid before Jake pulls him back as his fingers touch. 

"What is wrong with you?! You don't know what something is so you stick your finger inside of it?!" Jake shouts feeling like a parent as Vent laughs. 

"Sorry, I wasn't thinking straight there. Let's keep looking for Alister and Angeline." Vent says while wiping his fingers off by rubbing against his pants. They have a quick drink before walking past the liquid. As they start to see wild life once again they enter a part with bright green trees and even some small animals running across their path. Jake laughs as a small bagger attacks Vent's leg and wraps itself around before bitting him. 

"Get this thing off of me NOW!!" Vent panics at the bagger continues to bite his leg. 

Jake bats the animal off of his leg before Vent goes nuts. They come across a line of caves with some burned logs of wood inside the last cave. They figure that Alister and Angeline must have been there so they continue their searching, hoping to be getting closer to finding them. They come across another town quite a distance from the last that is much larger than the first one, but there is no difference where the people are concerned. 

"What happened here…?" Vent asks as they look upon the town. There are Dead bodies everywhere, pools of blood, buzzards eating off of the bodies, as well as many other wild animals feasting upon the rotting flesh. 

"This is horrible… what could have killed all of these people?" Jake says as he walks up to a group, taking notice that each of them have arms and legs cut off, some are even cut in half. Jake was getting a very bad feeling about that time. He knew that they had to get out of that town and at that moment. 

"Let's go Vent! We have to get out of here!" he tells him before running back in the direction they came from. 

As soon as Vent turns around to join him Jake is being held by his throat. The attacker is wearing a hooded cloak, his face or clothes cannot be seen. As Jake struggles to breath Vent tackles the cloaked person taking notice to the blood on his hands. Jake rolls off to the side as Vent faces off with the unknown enemy. 

"Who are you? Why are you attacking us?" Vent asks him. 

"All must die... all must pay... All must perish in the depths of hell!!" yells the attacker in a deep and evil voice. Jake stands to his feet before running off to let Vent do the fighting, he knows he can't do anything in this fight. 

"I can't allow that! Rock on!" Vent shouts while transforming into Model ZX. 

The attacker runs up to Vent and back kicks him making him stagger backwards. Vent comes back with an uppercut that sends his foe flying into a group of buzzards behind them. They begin to peck away at him as a bright shine of light is given off. Almost instantly the buzzards are killed, each of them burned to a crisp. 

"I like fried chicken as much as the next person... but that was just cruel." Vent thinks to himself as the light dies. Suddenly Alister steps out of the light as Black Rockman. His colors are a much darker color however. 

"Alister! You saved us from that guy!" Vent shouts in joy while running up to him. 

"No Vent! Stay back!" Jake yells at the top of his lungs as Vent stops. 

"What do you mean? It's Alister!" Vent argues with him. Before anything else was said Alister slashes across Vent's chest plate cutting into the Model. 

"Agghhh!!" Vent shouts in pain while falling on his back. Sparks fly off of his chest plate as Alister walks closer to him with his left arm slasher held in front of him. 

"Ugh… Alister? What are you doing this for?!" Vent questions him while taking notice that Alister actually cut him as he wipes blood away from his chest. Alister begins to slash towards Vent, but before he could connect Vent flips up and draws his saber. 

"All will die... all will die!" Alister rants as he turns to Jake with red in his eyes. He leaps towards him before slashing downwards. Jake braces for the attack, but when he opens his eyes Model G is keeping the attack from killing him. 

"Model G!" Jake shouts. 

"The time is now Jake! Use my power to destroy this evil before the evil destroys the entire world!" Model G tells him before throwing Alister back. Jake takes the backpack off and walks up to the Model G without a doubt in his mind. 

"Jake…?" Vent takes notice as he blocks an attack from Alister. 

"Thank you Model G… Rock ON!!" Jake shouts as he becomes Model G once again. Alister kicks Vent in the stomach then stands over him as he falls to the ground. Alister raises his arm slasher to deliver the final blow before a laser blast shoots Alister across the town. 

"Come on!!" Jake shouts as he stomps his right foot on the ground while rapidly firing at Alister. 

Black Rockman starts to slash at the laser shots, cutting them in half. He then begins to deflect them back at Jake. Alister disappears then reappears behind Jake, kicking out his legs from under him. Alister then leaps high into the air before starting to spin rapidly, looking like a drill. 

"Target… locked ON!!" Jake shouts while firing all four cannons at Alister while still on the ground. The force of the four blasts was so powerful that it even created a small crator under Jake. The laser blasts from Jake and Alister's attack connect with each other, however Alister is cutting through the laser beams somehow. 

"You think that is all I had to offer?!" Jake shouts as the missile pods on his legs open and fire at Alister. 

Every single missle connects with Alister, sending him flying off into the town. As Jake stands to his feet, Vent dashes up to him to make sure he is alright. They notice Alister running towards them at great speed suddenly as Jake takes aim again, but Alister appears right in front of him. He slashes the cannons of of Jake with one swift attack before turning to Vent. Vent fires a charged blast from his gun before Alister could do anymore harm to Jake who is starting to struggle with his breathing. Alister looks burned by the shot and struggles to breath as well. 

"Why are you doing this Alister? Where is Angeline?" Vent asks him as Black Rockman gives him a blank stare at that moment. 

"… Angeline?" he asks. He seems to snap at that moment, screaming and yelling at the top of his lungs. He calms down before his arm slashers begin to glow showing he is not giving up the attack. 

"Don't do this Alister! Please don't make me shoot you!" Vent shouts at him while holding his aim steady, remembering the last time he hesitated he lost a dear friend to him. He did not want to repeat that mistake ever again. 

Alister ignores him and rushes towards him with his arm slashers out towards the side. As Alister attacks them Vent transforms into Model X before unleashing a charged blast as Jake follows with a rain of missiles. Alister hits the ground hard, followed by the missile attack. 

He still stands to his feet as if he was driven by his anger, even after that massive combination of attacks. Just then Jake realizes something, all of these people in this town were murdered… by Alister himself! Jake points at Alister at the moment he realizes this. 

"You killed all of these innocent people didn't you?! Didn't you?!" Jake exclaims as Alister walks towards them. 

"All will die." Alister continues to repeat before letting out an evil laugh. 

"Jake something is really wrong here… this can't be Alister!" Vent tells him. 

"This is Alister! There is only one Model ZW! But that will soon be a memory!" Jake shouts as he boosts towards Alister, catching him off guard. 

He drives him into a wall and continues to crash into wall after wall. Finally Alister breaks free inside of a church and stands in front of a casket with the lid open. He turns around to look inside then disappears without another word. Being curious Jake walks up to the casket and looks inside. It was Angeline inside of the casket. Her hands were placed in front of her in a peaceful position. She is wearing the white dress that Alister had bought for her. 

"No… that's why Alister is acting like this… that's why… she's dead." he thinks to himself taking notice of a few tear drops on the casket. They were the tears of Alister, someone who is in hell at the moment. 

"Goodbye Angeline... heh... I will miss our times together... that I will..." Jake says while transforming back to normal. As he does that, he collapses on the floor in front of her with Model G in his right hand. Vent finds his way inside spotting Jake lying in front of the casket. He runs up to Jake and takes notice of Angeline in the casket. He just hangs his head as he returns to normal and takes his communicator out of his left pocket. 

"This is Vent… we've found Alister and Angeline… but we've also lost Jake while fighting off the enemy..." Vent tells Praire with a steady voice. 

"He used Model G?!" she asks shocked. Vent replies with a yes as he takes notice to Jake still moving. 

"Hang on! He's still breathing! Jake is still alive!" Vent exclaims as he rushes towards Jake. 

End of Chapter 17


	19. Chapter 18: To The Finish

Rockman ZW  
Chapter 18: To The Finish: Eternal Struggle

Jake wakes inside of the Guardian sick room again, his vision is blurry for a moment as he looks around. As he sits up Vent and Aile could be seen sitting next to him, both happy to see him still alive. 

"Good to see you awake Jake!" Vent says with a smile, Aile smiling gently at the same time. 

"How am I still alive?" Jake asks while rubbing his head. 

"Do you remember that strange liquid I touched? According to Rose it has internal healing abilities, so whatever Khan did to you that one day the liquid made it better in lesser terms. You can use Model G as much as you like now." Vent explains to him. 

"If I knew that I would have taken a bath in the stuff." Jake chuckles to himself before yawning. 

"Vent said that you found Alister? I haven't had time to read the report myself though… so I thought I would ask you directly." Aile says as she looks at the two of them. 

"Yeah… we found Alister… but he tried to kill us." Vent tells her while looking towards the blank wall across the room. 

"What?! Why would he do such a thing?!" she gasps. 

"There was something not right about that entire fight, Alister just kept going on about killing all. All must die, all must die, That was all he kept repeating. I know it has something to do with Angeline…before Alister left us he turned to look inside of a coffin. Angeline died or was killed. Whichever, Alister is hurting right now and Model ZW may have something to do with this burst of hate and anger." Jake tells them. 

"What do you mean Model ZW?" Aile asks him. 

"While creating Model G I ran across the original documents of Model ZW that Tyson had hidden away for himself. Why he hid these I'll never know, but while going through the pages I noticed a long line of history involving a berserker by the name of Zerowing, also known as Model ZW. Zerowing was the cause of many deaths due to his uncontrollable power." Jake explains. 

"Then what stopped Zerowing before?" asks Vent. 

"Gunner. Also known as Model G. Gunner was a student of Fefnir, a Guardian under X. Gunner confronted Zerowing and made him realize his errors. At that moment Zerowing vowed to help humans instead of destroying them. Phantom, another Guardian saw potential in Zerowing and took him in as his own student. Over those years of training Gunner and Zerowing became fast friends and rivals towards each other. They would train with each other day after day. One focused on long range while the other used close range combat. The two would continue to counter the others weakness to get stronger." tells Jake as he uncovers himself and stands up as Aile looks away with an embarrassed look. 

"You may want to put some pants on first…" Vent says while pointing down. 

Jake jumps back into bed while shouting for his clothes. As the minutes pass Jake begins to think long and hard about this with Alister. He would never do any of this unless it was not him. He goes to the command room and meets with everyone else. 

"It's good to see you back with us Jake. Care to have this back?" Praire asks him while extending her hand to him. She is holding his Guardian's License while Jake hesitates, but then takes it from her. 

"Thank you Praire." he says while looking away. 

"Now since that is out of the way we have matters to talk about, mainly Alister." she mentions as everyone goes silent. 

"Jake… Alister destroyed two more cities a little while ago. He has left nothing but death in his path… thousands died Jake…" Aile says as she nearly cries for the dead. 

"I am sending you three to deal with him. You're orders are to bring him in… dead or alive." Praire tells him. Not liking her own words. 

"I understand…" Jake replies while hanging his head. 

"I'm sorry it had to be this way… but Alister is killing people now. He has to be stopped at all costs." Praire adds as she stands up then runs into her own room. 

Jake instantly turns around and walks out of the command room with Vent and Aile close behind him. As they leave the docking bay Jake knows that someone is not coming back. They would have to fight him… to the death. As they sit inside of the small cargo ship they get ready for a major fight, knowing that Alister is not to be taken lightly. The hours go by before the pilot stops the cargo ship. 

"This is your pilot speaking! Target is sighted directly in front of us! He's heading right for…!" that was all they heard from him before Alister crashed through the front window and slashes off the pilots head. The cargo ship starts falling down towards the ground. 

"Rock on!" the three shout as they jump out of the back. 

Both Vent and Aile transform into Model HX. As the cargo ship crashes they land a safe distance away from the explosion. They are in a canyon area, nowhere near the original area that Alister was first spotted. Alister appears out of the flames and walks towards them. He stands in front of them just starring at them. 

"Alister… or should I say Zerowing?" Jake asks him while his face mask moves back from his face. 

"You would be correct Model G." he replies as they all take notice to Alister's eyes. His pupils are white as snow. 

"Why did you take control Zerowing? What purpose did you have to do all of this?" Vent asks him realizing it is not Alister. 

"I am in control now that is all that matters... prepare to die!" Zerowing shouts before lunging towards them. 

Jake fires off a burst of laser blasts shooting Zerowing back as his face mask covers his face again. He flips over in mid air then disappears. Vent transforms into Model PX and searches the area. Zerowing is already behind them as Vent turns around to counter his arm slasher with his kunai. 

"Don't do this Zerowing! Was your training for nothing?!" Model P speaks to Zerowing. 

"Sensei…?" Zerowing asks as he stops suddenly. Sparks begin to fly from his body before letting out a scream of pain. 

"Vent, Zerowing is being manipulated by another force. None of this is his fault." Model P tells Vent. 

"I understand!" he replies while back kicking the oncoming Zerowing. 

Aile rushes forward while rapidly slashing with the Z-Saver. Zerowing blocks each attack but can't find a time to counter. Finally Zerowing begins his attack on Jake. He rapidly slashes as Jake blocks each attack. However with each attack Zerowing is getting stronger. Jake boosts forward ramming into Zerowing. 

He stops suddenly throwing his foe back. He then fires the missiles from his legs, hitting Zerowing with every missile. He staggers to his feet before Vent and Aile rush him as Model FX. The two begin to rapidly fire at Zerowing as he struggles to dodge. A few seconds into the evasion the bullets begin to strike him. 

Aile jumps towards him and comes crashing down on him with such destructive force. Vent follows by punching the ground and causes a flame trail to hit Zerowing. Vent and Aile suddenly jump to the side as a giant laser blast connects with Zerowing. He is thrown into the canyon and hits the wall. As the three try to find him through the dust cloud they take notice of the hole in the wall that was just made by Zerowing. 

Suddenly a shockwave hits the three throwing them up against the opposite wall. Aile jumps up into the air as Zerowing attacks Vent. He dodges his first attack before kicking Zerowing high up into the air. Aile meets with him point blank range with Model X. 

"Charge shot!!" shouts Aile as Zerowing is shot back down, falling into the river below. 

As he struggles to get to dry land he can make out Jake gliding across the water towards him, firing multiple laser blasts at him. He jumps out of the water while dodging the blasts. As he turns around to watch for more attacks, Jake's missiles are right in front of him. Zerowing disappears from sight as Jake's cannons fall off suddenly. 

Zerowing then grabs Jake and disappears with him. They appear above the canyon as Zerowing pile drives Jake into the ground. A loud crash can be heard as Vent and Aile fly up to the top. They can see the two fighting each other as Jake counters each of Zerowing's attacks. 

"You never were good at close combat Gunner!" Zerowing shouts while slashing. 

"You're wrong! I am not Gunner!" he replies while grabbing his arm. 

Jake then follows with a powerful right punch to his opponents face. Zerowing slides backwards on the ground then holds his arms to the side. His arm slashers extend before glowing brightly. Jake uses his remaining strength left to form a cannon on each arm. As Zerowing rushes forward Jake takes aim. 

"Come on!!" Jake shouts while firing a combined laser blast that is a continuous beam. 

Zerowing is shot back from the blast but then starts to slowly walk towards Jake while taking the blast head on. As he draws closer Zerowing pulls back his left arm getting ready for an attack. Vent and Aile are getting closer as they spot Zerowing attacking. Jake stops the cannons as he looks down to see Zerowing's arm blade sticking into his chest. 

Zerowing suddenly pulls it out as Jake lets out a scream of pain. Vent and Aile rush to their friend as Zerowing begins to walk away. Jake lies there in a pool of blood that is running down the hill. He is holding his wound as they walk up to their friend. 

"Looks like… I lost that fight. I just can't catch a break..." Jake tells them while coughing up blood as Aile begins to cry. Vent is fighting back his own tears. 

"Jake… no… you just can't die!" Aile tells him while shaking her head back and forth. 

"Guys… please defeat Zerowing… save Alister from his own hell…" Jake tells them before Model G disappears from his body. Jake lies there with his left hand clenched over his chest. They look closer to see him holding Model G. Vent takes Model G out of his hand as Aile stops crying before she looks towards Zerowing. 

"You killed him!" she screams at him as Zerowing turns around to look at her. 

"What's your point?" he asks her before Aile transforms into Model LX. 

"I never got to tell him how I feel! I'll never get that chance again!!" she screams while charging towards him. 

"Aile!" Vent calls after her as she jumps into the air. 

"Just die Zerowing!!" Aile yells out as she attacks Zerowing. 

End of Chapter 18


	20. Chapter 19: Power Struggle

Rockman ZW  
Chapter 19: Power Struggle 

With a powerful thrust that even creates a small shockwave, Aile attacks Zerowing before he side steps and grabs her lance near the blade. 

"What could you possibly do to defeat me?" mocks Zerowing as Aile is crying again while keeping a straight face. 

"I'll do whatever it takes to defeat you! Even if it costs my own life… you will be defeated here, today!" Aile declares as she pulls the lance out of his hands. 

The tip of the blade barely misses Zerowing while taking her weapon back. Zerowing leaps forward and slashes through her lance shocking Aile. She then throws the piece with the lance blade directly at Zerowing. He deflects it before Aile swings the other piece and connects with his head. As he flies backwards Aile transforms into Model FX and begins to rapidly fire bullets at Zerowing. While sliding across the ground he deflects them one at a time. 

As he deflects his arm slashers begin to give off a faint glow. He suddenly unleashes a powerful shockwave that cuts through her shots. In an effort to counter his shockwave she pulls back her left arm and thrusts forward with a flame attack that stops the shockwave. She then quickly thrusts with her right arm hitting Zerowing with the second flame attack. 

He rolls on the ground as the flames are put out. Aile runs up to him before jumping into the air and attempts to slam him into the ground. Zerowing quickly rolls over and holds his arm slasher out towards her as she nears. Vent acts quickly and fires a charged shot from long distance as Model ZX. 

The shot knocks his arm down as Aile crashes into him. There is an explosion that throws Aile back before Vent catches her in mid air. While watching the flames they pray that the fight is over. As feared, Zerowing walks out of the flames as smoke rises from his body. He gets into a fighting stance as the smoke fades away. 

"What is with this Model? Why won't he go down?" Vent wonders as they watch Zerowing closely. 

"He is the eternal light that destroys all evil. As long as he believes he is doing justice… he will fight until the very end." Model P tells them. 

"What do you mean doing justice?! He's been killing this entire time! Not unless…" Vent starts to realize. 

"Not unless he's been fooled! Or maybe even brainwashed!" Aile finishes. 

"That is what I believe." adds Model P. 

"How can we snap him out of it? If Alister is not in control, is there as way to reach him? Maybe if Alister was to snap out of it, Zerowing would lose control and return to normal!" Aile says as they look at Zerowing. 

"Maybe… if we inflict enough damage to him… Zerowing will lose focus and Alister can break free!" Vent mentions. 

"If that were to happen Alister could break free. It would require a massive amount of damage to be dealt to Zerowing. However… Model ZW may not survive this fight." Model P tells them. 

"We have to do it. For Alister's sake and our own. Zerowing has to be stopped, his false justice has to end here!" says Aile as her body begins to give off a slight glow. Vent begins to glow as well as Zerowing takes notice to this and watches them from a distance. 

"Become wind…" speaks Vent. 

"Become water…" adds Aile. 

"Become fire…" Vent says as an aura appears around his body. 

"Become the shadows…" Aile says as an aura appears around her as well. 

"Become the hero within!" the two shout in unison as the Model's begin to circle around them at great speed. A single Model appears in the middle of them all and bonds with Vent and Aile in a blast of light. As Zerowing looks away due to the flash of light the two heroes stand in the light with their eyes glowing. 

"The power of Model O… will help us defeat you Zerowing!" Vent shouts as he draws his Z-Saver. 

"Not likely!" Zerowing shouts rushing forward. 

As he draws closer they suddenly vanish. Zerowing stops to look around and realizes their speed matches his own Zero Fade. They suddenly attack him from his sides, rapidly slashing and firing at him. Every time Zerowing attempted to counter they acted even quicker than the previous attack. He falls to the ground sparking like a lightning storm before staggering to his feet as Vent and Aile appear in front of him. They both take aim with their gun as they begin to charge. 

"I'm… not done yet!" Zerowing yells as there is an aura around him now. 

"Charge shot!" the two shout before firing. 

Zerowing slashes at the shots, breaking his arm slashers. He then rushes forward and disappears as they do the same. As they engage him in high speed combat, Zerowing goes for a punch as Aile blocks. She kicks upwards as Zerowing spins to avoid. Vent goes for a saber slash as Zerowing grabs the blade with two hands. 

Zerowing kicks Vent in the stomach and knocks him to the ground. Aile finds herself rapidly slashing towards Zerowing as he struggles to dodge her oncoming fury. She finally connects a hit to his left shoulder as he hits the ground. Blood could be seen coming from the cut as Zerowing lets out a cry of pain as he holds the wound. 

"That was not Zerowing crying out in pain was it?" asks Aile while watching Zerowing. 

"Let's hit him hard and fast right now!" Vent tells her before dashing up to him as his Z-Saver begins to glow. 

Vent slashes upwards knocking Zerowing into the air. Aile is already up there with her Z-Saver glowing as well. She slams the saver into him throwing him into the ground. They walk up to him as Zerowing disappears from his body, leaving Alister motionless. 

"What's wrong? Why isn't Alister moving?!" Vent panics. 

"It might have been too much for Model ZW to handle. Model ZW may not have been able to heal Alister…" Model P states. 

"Why didn't you tell us this before?!" shouts Aile as she kneels down next to Alister. Just then there is a glow around Vent as Model G floats over to Alister's body. 

"Do you wish for this human to be saved?" Model G asks them. 

"Model G, what do you have in mind?" asks Vent. 

"If I bond with Model ZW it will give them both enough power to live again. There is a chance that Zerowing will go berserk again…" Model G explains to them as they stand there and think about it for awhile. Finally Aile walks closer to Model G. 

"Do it." she tells him. 

"Are you sure Aile?" asks Vent as she begins to cry. 

"It's what Jake would have wanted…" she replies while wiping her tears away. 

"Very well. I must hurry before it's too late." Model G says as he floats towards the broken Model ZW. 

Model G begins to glow as does Model ZW. Soon Model G turns pure white before disappearing completely. Suddenly Zerowing forms over Alister again. They watch as Alister's eyes return to his natural blue color. He sits up to look at Vent and Aile as they are ready for anything. 

Alister looks at his hands before screaming at the top of his lungs. He begins to shake his head back and forth before returning to normal. He falls flat on his butt as Model ZW drops in front of him. As if he was scared he scurries away from the Model ZW. 

"What's wrong Alister?" Aile asks as she watches him. 

"Keep that thing away from me! Keep it away!" Alister panics as Vent picks up Model ZW. 

"What's wrong with you?" he asks Alister. 

"The hell that thing has put me through!" Alister says before starting to cry. 

"Alister…?" Aile mutters before he holds his head. 

"I wasn't strong enough… I killed all those people…" Alister tells them. 

"No, Zerowing killed them all… you were not in control!" Aile says shaking him. 

"I could see everything! Every slash! Every victim crying for mercy as I watched my own arms cutting through their bodies! All those people! Women and children! I was not strong enough to fight this! I let it all happen!" Alister shouts at them. 

They just look at him. What could they possibly say to comfort him? Out of nowhere, Aile transforms back to normal and hugs him. Alister's eyes open wide as he thinks back to Angeline dying in his own arms. He calms down and hugs her back, still crying he tightly holds her. 

"It's alright Alister… you were not in control…you couldn't help it. It was not your fault Alister." she tells him as she begins to cry as well. 

Vent just stands there as he watches the two sitting on the ground. As a breeze of wind goes by he calls for a crago ship to return them to base wondering to himself... if they should have just let him rest forever instead of letting him go through this pain.

"To completely destroy someone… you must attack their heart… ha ha ha…" Khan laughs to himself while watching from a distance. 

End of Chapter 19


	21. Chapter 20: Pride, Honor, and Justice

Rockman ZW  
Chapter 20: Pride, Honor, and Justice. 

Vent walks back and forth in the hallways of the Guardian HQ, hearing the screaming that Alister is letting out constantly. As he watches Rose walk in with a needle in her left hand, Alister goes silent a few seconds later. She walks back out and closes the door with a sigh of relief while Vent watches her walk by as Aile appears next to him. 

"How is he doing?" she asks while peeking in on him. 

"Rose just went in there to settle him down. I am sure that as soon as he wakes, he will start screaming again." he replies with a sigh. 

"Poor guy… I couldn't imagine what he went through… watching his own hands kill countless people…" she says while closing the door. 

"How are you doing?" asks Vent while leaning up against the wall and crosses his arms while she looks away. 

"What do you mean…? I'm fine… really I am..." she replies fighting the tears. 

"Don't give me that! You and I have been together for a long time now, and I can tell when you're hurting Aile!" he shouts to her as she suddenly turns to him with tears flowing down her face. 

"It's not fair Vent! Why?! Why did Jake have to give his life like that?! It's just not fair Vent...!" Aile shouts in return before she turns to run away. Suddenly Vent grabs her arm and whips her around into his arms.

"No Aile! You can't run from this!" Vent tells her while Aile struggles to get free from his grip.

"Let me go!" she screams while punching Vent countless times before falling to her knees.

"It is going to be alright Aile, I'm here to help..." Vent tells her while hugging her. Now his own tears are flowing down his face as he watches his strong friend break down in front of him.

"Just tell me why..." Aile continues to repeat for the longest time.

As a few hours pass Aile finally returns to her own room and falls asleep on her bed. Vent just stands by Alister's door, thinking back to the previous fight with Zerowing. Vent takes a sigh of relief that the horrible fight is over. He closes his eyes for a moment as he has been awake all night long. Without even realizing it, he too soon falls fast asleep. 

In Alister's room he is now tossing and turning, and finding it hard to breath. As he tosses and turns he dreams of running through an alley. While running through the alley he looks back to see a shadow figure closing in on him. As he turns his head back around to continue running he slips on a puddle of water and falls flat on his face. The shadow stands over him and as he turns around to confront Zerowing. 

"What is wrong Alister? You seemed to be scared…" states Zerowing. 

"Stay away from me! You're evil!" Alister shouts to him while jumping to his feet. 

Alister looks around for a way out before looking upwards. He then extends his right arm towards the building on his left and fires a grapple hook towards the roof. It latches on to something as he shoots up towards the top. When he climbs up to the top finally Zerowing is waiting there for him with his arms crossed. 

"You cannot escape destiny Alister. I am a part of you as you are a part of me." he tells Alister. 

"I'm no part of you! Don't say that!" Alister argues while getting into a fighting position. 

Zerowing just closes his eyes and puts his head down. Suddenly there is a light behind him as Model G appears. 

"Alister…" Model G starts. 

"You see him Zerowing? You killed Jake! Now Model G does not exist anymore!" Alister shouts. 

"It is true that I killed Jake… but not of my own will." Zerowing tells him. 

"How do you expect me to trust you? How could you possibly prove yourself to me?" questions Alister as Zerowing just stands there. 

"While you were knocked out in the rubble with Angeline in your arms… I was still able to see around you. This is what I saw before all of this happened." Zerowing tells him before raising his right arm and holding it to his right. A part of the sky opens up and shows the rubble from the mansion. The image is looking from the left to the right as Khan walks up. Alister realizes that he is seeing from Model ZW's point of view. 

"I see you're still alive… well… you're going to wish you were dead… ha-ha…" Khan laughs as he reaches towards Alister. The image in the sky fades as Zerowing looks towards Alister again. 

"What does that prove to me?" questions Alister. 

"Khan did something to me… as if he reached inside of me and planted a virus or something. That is all I can say… for I know no more." Zerowing says to him as Model G disappears. 

"I just can't believe you… countless lives were lost because I was not strong enough" Alister replies while looking away. 

"The choice is yours to make. I cannot force you." Zerowing says as he suddenly fades away. 

Alister wakes up at that moment, the sweat pouring off of his forehead. He wipes it off before standing to his feet. He spots his shirt and jacket to the side of him before putting them on. He opens the door to his room before taking notice of Vent on the ground asleep. Alister nudges Vent's right shoulder to wake him up. 

"Hm…?" he yawns before taking notice that Alister is awake and out of his room. 

"Hey Vent… want to go get something to eat?" Alister asks as his stomach growls at him. 

"Yeah, that sounds good about now." replies Vent as he stands to his feet. 

He takes another big yawn while stretching before they walk off. On the way there a fellow Guardian walks up to them and tells them that Praire wishes to see them. They forget about their hunger at the moment and follow orders. As they walk into the command room Praire watches them closely. 

"Alister… how are you feeling?" asks Praire. 

"Words cannot express how I feel at the moment… I have been used… how should I feel?" he asks her. Praire couldn't answer that as she knew Alister was hurting over the death of Angeline. 

"Can we count on Black Rockman in the future?" she bluntly asks him. Alister looks around to see so many faces that he has learned to call friends. Finally he steps forward while looking heavily upon the ground. 

"No. I'm no longer Black Rockman. How can I? Not after doing such a horrible crime…" Alister tells her. 

"I see… I thought you might say that. I have already found a replacement for you, well… two to be more accurate…" she says as the doors behind them open up suddenly. Two figures walk into the command room as shock hits everyones faces, all but Praire and Alister. 

"Sonic Tiger and Heavy Grizzly reporting for duty!" Sonic Tiger says as he and Heavy Grizzly salute. 

"Are you serious?! Why are these guys here?!" Vent shouts as they walk up to her. 

"For some time now, Sonic Tiger and Heavy Grizzly have been working undercover for us. Alister has also been with us for a period of time before he found Model ZW as well. The three of them acted as our field unit. Sonic Tiger and Heavy Grizzly provided the backbone of the operation while Alister helped the poor and acted as our only stealth unit." Praire tells them while Sonic Tiger walks over to Alister as does Heavy Grizzly. The two put their hands on his right and left shoulder. 

"I see… well then… welcome." Vent says walking up to them shaking their hands. 

"A pleasure to be working aside you Vent." Sonic Tiger replies. 

"Same here kid." Heavy Grizzly adds while pushing Vent around a bit. Praire smiles at the sight of her men getting along before She looks to Alister as her smile fades. 

"Alister… at least think about this… don't quit right away…" she mentions to him. 

"Quit? Why would you be quitting?" asks Heavy Grizzly. 

"It's a long story…" Alister tells the bear. 

"Then I suggest you start explaining it to us." Sonic Tiger says as he puts his arm around him and walks Alister out. Heavy Grizzly follows as Vent stands there, knowing to leave them alone. 

"Vent." Praire speaks as he turns to her. 

"Yes?" he asks. 

"I have a mission for you and Aile, it involves Khan. He has shown up again and I want you two to go find his hiding spot." she tells him. 

"Roger that. I'll go get Aile and we'll head out right away." he returns as he turns around. 

As he walks out of the command room Praire turns her head and looks at a picture of her and Angeline standing next to each other, both of them smiling at the other. Alister opens the door to the top of the Guardian HQ. They step out and walk towards the rails as Alister hangs over them. 

"Tell us what's going on Alister." Sonic Tiger says watching the sky. 

Heavy Grizzly walks up to Alister on the other side as the thief lets out a sigh. As he begins to tell them the entire story, the two reploids listen very closely. At times Alister cried and started screaming again while shaking his head back and forth. As he gets to the part where Jake was killed Sonic Tiger hangs his head. 

"I'm sorry my little friend… Angeline… she was a wonderful girl." Sonic Tiger tells him. 

"How do you know that? How could you possibly know anything about her? She was my love! I loved her! Now she's gone and it's all my fault!!" Alister shouts as Sonic Tiger shakes him. 

"It's not your fault little one!" he shouts to Alister as he gives him a blank stare before breaking free from his grip. 

"Tiger… maybe it's time he knew the whole truth… about her…" Heavy Grizzly mentions before Sonic Tiger nods his head in agreement. 

"Alister… Angeline… she was a part of the Guardian's…" he tells him. 

"What?!" gasps Alister while turning to Sonic Tiger. 

"It's true. You two have even met once before. A very long time ago as children. You two were selected by a woman named Ciel, to become the new heroes of the world. I was there to help guard you two when the carnival was attacked. Even though you two had just met as children, you bonded so fast. Neither of you left the others side for even a moment. Ciel's last wish, was that the children she selected to be safe. Even though it cost her life... she finished her final job." Sonic Tiger explains to him. 

"Angeline… was a Guardian... this… entire time?" Alister asks him. 

"I'm sorry you found out this way… Praire was also close to Angeline. I'm sure she is also hurting very much over this…" Heavy Grizzly adds. 

"A Guardian… the entire time… she was looking after me… and I never knew it?" Alister thinks out loud before suddenly there is alarms going off. Praire's voice is heard throughout the entire base. 

"Attention all Guardian's! There is a level one emergency! All combat Guardian's are to report to the command room!" she says before cutting off. Sonic Tiger and Heavy Grizzly run off towards the door as Alister follows them. Upon returning to the command room Vent is on the viewing screen. 

"Praire… Khan… too strong! Can't… fight anymore…!" Vent struggles to speaks as Khan appears behind him. He laughs before grabbing Vent and laughs again before the transmission ends there. Praire turns around to Sonic Tiger and Heavy Grizzly. 

"Vent and Aile went on a recon mission and were ambushed by Khan himself! You two have to go there and get them out of there before it's too late!" Praire commands them. 

"Roger!" the two reply as they head for the docking bay. Alister hangs his head in shame before Angeline's words come to mind. 

"Alister… promise me… to keep going on… without me. That is… what I wish for." her voice echoes throughout his thoughts. 

He shakes his head back and forth as tears fall from his eyes. He then turns around to follow the other two. Praire smiles as he runs out, she knows he is making his choice right now. 

"Agghhh!!" Vent and Aile scream in pain as they lose their Rockman forms. They are bleeding badly while Khan walks up to them and prepares for the final attack. As he raises his hand into the air to strike, Alister tackles Khan from the side and jumps off of him. 

"Alister!" Khan sneers as he stands to his feet. Sonic Tiger and Heavy Grizzly help Vent and Aile to the cargo ship before they run up next to Alister. 

"Khan!" Alister shouts at him out of anger that he is hurting those that he cares about. 

"Alister… ha-ha! Back from your slaughter fest? As much killing as you have done you should be on my side. Join…" Khan starts to invite. 

"Shut up!" Alister interrupts. 

"What?!" Khan returns. 

Alister walks forward with Model ZW in his right hand. He holds it up before him and transforms into Black Rockman once again. He looks at his hands as if they have been washed clean of the blood. He clenches his fists before starring at Khan.

"It's funny actually... even though you are no longer with me... your words still get to me Angeline..." Alister thinks to himself before looking towards Khan. 

"Darkness has no power in the light Khan! I am the eternal light that destroys all evil!" Alister shouts before dashing towards Khan. 

End of Chapter 20


	22. Chapter 21: Towards The Future: Part One

Rockman ZW  
Chapter 21: Towards The Future: Part One 

As Alister is charging forward Khan holds his hand towards his foe and puts up an energy shield that covers himself in a sphere form. Alister starts to spin as he repeats his attacks with the shield put in place, while Khan smirks at the sight of his enemy cutting through his defense. Finally Alister breaks through just as Khan fades out of view. He appears in the distance as Sonic Tiger and Heavy Grizzly meet with him head on. 

"Impressive Alister... there is still time for you to join with me." Khan invites again while holding his right arm towards Alister with his hand turned over. 

"You make me sick Khan! I will not be a puppet for evil!" replies Alister as he throws his right arm to the side, extending his arm slasher. Khan laughs at the reply before looking straight at Alister. 

"You have already been my puppet Alister, this entire time." Khan tells him with a smug look to his face. 

Alister thinks about it for a moment before realizing what Khan was saying. All the killing, all of the blood spilled on his own hands. Khan had been using his emotions against him this entire time. 

"How could I… have been so easily used?" Alister mutters to himself. 

"The cunning warrior attacks neither the body or mind, but the heart. What that person holds most dear to them... Angeline screamed real loud when I…" Khan started to say before Alister appears in front of him. 

"Shut it!" Alister yells as he punches Khan directly in the face. Khan slides backwards before gaining his balance again, laughing to himself the entire time. 

"Ah yes… your anger fills the air. I can feel its power. Use it against me Alister." Khan continues to laugh as Alister walks towards him with fire in his eyes. Sonic Tiger rushes towards Alister and holds him back. 

"Stop it Alister! Don't let him get to you like this!" Sonic Tiger shouts as Alister looks to the side. 

"I'm sorry Tiger…" replies Alister as he looks Sonic Tiger in the eyes. Heavy Grizzly stomps up next to them before turning to look at Alister. 

"Come on kid! We'll show him what we can do!" Grizzly shouts as Khan's laugh begins to echo throughout the battlefield. 

"It is actually very amusing to me. You three actually believe you can defeat me? I will show you what power is! I will show you what fear and despair is!" Khan shouts with an evil smile on his face. 

The three heroes charge forward as Alister goes for another punch while Sonic Tiger slashes violently. Khan blocks both of them before sending them flying backwards. Heavy Grizzly lets out a roar before firing his missiles at Khan. Instantly Khan puts up another shield which blocks every missile as they explode on top of him. 

Alister and Sonic Tiger make the choice to attack at the same time in the form of nodding to each other while dashing around Khan. They slash towards him and cut through his shield before Heavy Grizzly fires his missiles once again. They get through the shield this time as Khan dodges every missile without the shield. 

"There is no future in fighting against me!" Khan shouts to them as Alister closes his eyes and begins to focus. Khan takes notice and can feel his power growing deep inside of him. 

"Model ZW… please… lend me your strength…" Alister thinks as there is a faint glow around his body. 

He extends his arm slashers as they begin to glow brightly. Alister shoots a shockwave towards Khan as he jumps to dodge it, but Alister is already in his face slashing at him. Khan blocks all of his attacks as Alister goes to stab Khan attempting to end the battle. 

"Not good enough!" Khan mocks as he grabs Alister's attack and head butts him. Alister hits the ground as his form fades in and out showing both Alister and Black Rockman. 

"What is… going on here…?" he thinks to himself as Sonic Tiger jumps into the air. 

He slashes his claws towards Khan causing shockwaves to shoot out. Khan slashes at them with his hands which deflects them back to Sonic Tiger. He crashes into the ground as Heavy Grizzly fires a single laser beam at Khan. The evil Khan dodges before appearing in front of Heavy Grizzly. 

He punches him in the stomach which sends him flying backwards. He crashes into a group of trees before finally stopping. A small tree with a sharp point sticks through his leg as he stands up. Khan laughs with an evil laugh as he walks towards Sonic Tiger who is attempting to stand to his feet. Khan kicks the tiger in his side which rolls him across the ground. 

"Are you prepared to die?" Khan asks him as he puts his foot down on his head. 

"I do not fear death, nor do I fear you scum!" Sonic Tiger shouts in reply. 

Alister rushes to stand up and disappears. He appears in front of his downed ally just in time to see Khan crush Sonic Tiger's head with his left foot. Khan then proceeds to crush his chest with his other foot. Khan disappears as Sonic Tiger blows up throwing Alister back. Alister lands next to Heavy Grizzly as the explosion dies down. 

"TIGER!!" Alister screams as Heavy Grizzly hangs his head in sorrow. 

All Alister could hear was Khan's laughter echo throughout his thoughts. All of his memories of Sonic Tiger training him came up at that point. He thought about how he accomplish his first mission because Sonic Tiger was there to help him. He remembers that fateful day at the park, where he stepped in front of Sonic Tiger to protect him. As Alister begins to stare down Khan he stands to his feet and walks towards him. 

"Are you ready to give up now? I've taken the life of your tiger friend... are you prepared to lose your other friend as well?" Khan asks him with a smirk across his face. 

Alister stops dead in his tracks in fear that Heavy Grizzly might be next. Khan laughs at the sight of fear shooting across his face then disappears suddenly. He appears next to Heavy Grizzly and grabs his neck. 

"Join me or I will crush his neck!" Khan tells him before taking a firm grasp of Heavy Grizzly's neck. 

"Don't listen to him Alister! Do what you know to do kid!" Grizzly tells him as Alister couldn't speak he couldn't move. Fear had paralyzed him from head to toe. 

"This is why the hero will never win." Khan tells him before crushing Heavy Grizzly's neck. 

He then proceeds to rip a hole in his chest and pull out his insides. He throws them all over the ground as Alister watches his friend die. The entire time Heavy Grizzly was trying to get free, struggling the entire time to stay alive, but he couldn't. He finally stops moving before Khan walks in front of Alister. 

"Grizzly!! No!!" Alister shouts as he throws his head back and forth. 

"You see? What kind of path does the hero have for you if everyone you care for dies?" Khan asks him as Alister stands there in a daze not knowing of what to do. Khan starts to attack him while in the daze. Alister just takes the attacks as if he was a living doll. Every blow from Khan, every hit is killing him slowly. 

"Alister!" Model ZW shouts before Alister snaps to. Khan is pulling back his arm to kill him. As he punches Alister grabs his fist and head butts him back. Khan shakes it while staggering backwards, like the attack was nothing. 

"How dare you?! How dare you think that you have a right to do all of this?! I'm not done with you yet Khan! Come on!" Alister shouts before he dashes forward. 

Khan smirks as he puts up his shield once again. This time Alister slashes right through it before punching towards Khan. He connects with a hit to his face and knocks him backwards a bit. Shocked by his new power Khan rushes forward and grabs Alister by the neck and slams him into the ground. Alister could barely recover from that attack. 

"So this is the extent of your power? A simple slam into the ground can stop you? You're pathetic!" Khan tells him before disappearing. 

Before he could disappear completely Alister grabs him and goes with him. They appear inside of Khan's new base. The area they are in has lava all around them. They are standing on top of a large area which surrounds them by lava. Khan throws Alister off of him nearly throwing him into the lava. 

"Khan!!" Alister yells while jumping back towards him. He does an X-slash on Khan as he falls to his knees. Khan rubs his arms and can feel the blood dripping off of him. He starts to laugh again as Alister turns around. 

"What is so funny?!" Alister shouts as Khan is now holding something in his left hand. It is glowing purple and black at the same time. 

"All this time… I've been fighting you with the lowest of my abilities… Rock on…" Khan says with a menacing voice. 

Suddenly there is Khan standing before him. His face has changed, he has lost his hair but has two scars on his face under his eyes. A line that goes down his eyes. He has shoulder pads that are silver with three red marks in the middle. His chest plate is silver with yellow on the left and right. He's now holding a staff in his right hand. His arms are covered in a silver armor. His legs are silver and yellow as well with red marks on the sides. 

"You… have a Live Metal?" Alister asks him with a shocked look. 

"Not just any Model… this is the metal of evil itself! This is the power of Model S!!" Khan laughs as the end of his staff extends to form a scythe. 

"I don't care what form you take Khan! You are still the same evil person! I'm not fighting you as Alister or Zerowing! I will fight you as Black Rockman, the eternal light that destroys all evil!" Alister tells him before taking a fighting stance. 

End of Chapter 21


	23. Chapter 22: Towards The Future: Part Two

Rockman ZW  
Chapter 22: Towards The Future: Part Two 

Khan makes the first move by charging forward and kneeing Alister directly in the stomach. The power from his attack nearly knocked the air right out of him as Alister quickly recovers from the attack and rolls out of the way. Khan closely follows behind as Alister turns around to counter him with his arm slashers extended. 

With a mighty slash of his scythe Khan's attack is met with Alister's arm slashers. The two begin a struggle in power against the other before Khan lets out a laugh before holding his hand up towards Alister's face. As he opens his hand a flash of lights blinds Alister and causes him to back step a few paces. As soon as he can see again Khan punches him in the stomach while pressing upwards at the same time. 

Alister keeps himself from blacking out by biting his own tongue which brings a lot of blood to his mouth. Alister then proceeds to spit the blood into Khan's eyes before the villain shouts in pain as he rubs his eyes violently. Alister swiftly kicks him up into the air before using his Zero Fade to appear on top of his foe. He then takes hold of Khan's arms and places his feet in Khan's arm pits while crashing into the ground in that position. Alister breaks away from Khan as he stands to his feet with nearly no damage at all to Khan. 

"Is that all you've got Alister?" mocks Khan as he swings his weapon back and forth. 

"I'm just getting started Khan." replies Alister as the two charge at each other. 

Alister goes for a right arm slash as Khan jumps into the air. He uses the bottom side of his scythe to knock Alister in the back of the head. Alister falls to the ground face first before rolling over to dodge a slash from Khan. 

"You are aiming way too high Alister! You don't have a chance to beat me like you are now!" shouts Khan as Alister stands to his feet again. 

"You just won't shut up will you?" Alister returns as he leaps into the air. 

He has his arms out as he prepares for another X-slash attack. Khan thrusts his scythe towards Alister hoping to catch him off guard. Attempting to do the same, Alister uses his legs to grab the staff of the scythe. He then flips over and punches Khan in the face who staggers backwards while laughing. Khan proceeds to throw his scythe at Alister who jumps over it while spinning in the air. Khan races towards him as Alister does the same before they lock fists while staring each other down. 

"You still think this is good enough?" Khan asks him. 

"You keep saying the same things over and over again! You need some new material cue ball!" Alister returns with a smirk. 

Khan suddenly overwhelms Alister with power and throws him backwards. As he flies backwards Alister suddenly remembers the scythe that was thrown a minute ago. He turns his head in time to see the scythe coming before twirling in mid-air to dodge. It cuts his leg near his knee as it passes by which causes him to shout out in pain. Upon hitting the ground Alister struggles to stand with his bad leg. Khan catches the scythe and spots the blood dripping down the staff of his scythe. 

"What a disappointment you have turned out to be. I offered you power, a new life, and to become a part of my new world. What did you do instead of accepting my gracious offer? You spit in my face like I was some street punk begging for food." speaks Khan as he walks up slowly. 

"Heh… if you knew me so well… you would know that I am a street punk." returns Alister while standing to his feet with arm his hanging to his sides like a rag doll. The cut from the scythe completely healed now due to the quick abilities of Model ZW. 

"I'll take off your head! When I'm done with you I will take your Model ZW and use it for my own plans!" says Khan as he gets ready to strike. 

Alister quickly does an uppercut that knocks Khan back. He follows in mid-air with a powerful downwards kick that causes Khan to fly into the ground, which causes Khan to bounce back up due to the force. As if the attack did nothing to him Khan flips over before firing laser beams out of his eyes towards Alister. 

While dodging Alister fades in and out of view. He starts to rapidly slash at Khan who uses his scythe to counter his attacks. Khan pushes forward to hit Alister in the head but he ducks and kicks Khan's feet out from under him. Alister appears in the air and holds his arm slashers out forward, attempting to run Khan through. Before crashing into his enemy Khan disappears suddenly. 

He turns around to see his enemy backwards sabot kick him in the stomach. Alister flies back before rolling along the ground before nearly hitting the pool of lava that surrounds the arena they have been fighting in. He stands back up only to see Khan punch towards him. He side steps while using his arm to knock him to the ground. While on the ground Khan fires his eye lasers up at Alister. He hits him throwing him back again. Khan flips over and follows him closely as Alister stands up again. 

"I am impressed that you made it this far with me, but that alone will not spare your life Black Rockman." Khan tells him while pointing towards him with his scythe. 

"I'm glad that you're impressed with me. I have to say I am not that impressed with you though." Alister tells him with a smirk while holding his left arm slasher in front of him. 

"Is that so? If that is the case I will no longer hold anything back!" Khan says before there is a purple aura around him. 

"I guess I should have just shut up…" thinks Alister as he watches Khan. 

Suddenly Khan is standing in front of Alister before attacking him with his punches. Alister didn't even see it coming as he is struck by every blow. Khan stops his attack before rising into the air. Alister gets up and watches him before Khan starts to fire his eye lasers once again, but this time they are much stronger. 

The beams cut right through the rock under Alister. He jumps from rock to rock to avoid falling into the lava. Khan suddenly appears behind him and slashes at his back. Alister flies forward in pain as the blood spews from his back. Landing face first on a falling rock Alister blacks out. Khan laughs as he watches his foe fall towards his death. 

"Alister! Alister!" Model ZW calls as Alister is out cold. The pain was too much for him. As he repairs the damage done to Alister's back he takes control of his body. Jumping him to safety Zerowing turns his attention to Khan. 

"Zerowing I presume?" Khan questions with a curious look. 

"You are correct." he replies while his eyes are glowing red. 

"Excellent. You are the stronger of the two. Why not join me? You already have control of his body. Why not throw his mind away and join with me?" asks Khan while holding his hand out before Zerowing suddenly appears in front of him and slaps his hand away. He then punches him in the stomach which causes Khan to spew out blood from his mouth. 

"I hope that was a good enough answer for you!" Zerowing says before jumping backwards. 

"What a shame… It seems I will have to destroy you as well." says Khan. 

"I am a Guardian before anything else! I will protect the humans from all evil! I will still serve Master X to this day!!" shouts Zerowing while charging forward. 

Khan throws his scythe but Zerowing catches it. He throws it back which catches Khan off guard. It hits him in the chest knocking him to the ground. It hardly even puts a scratch on his chest plate. Zerowing extends his arm slashers and sends a massive amount of shockwaves towards Khan. He blocks the attacks then leaps towards Zerowing while firing his eye lasers. 

As Zerowing is hit by the last laser blast Khan uses that time to stab Zerowing in the stomach. Piercing through him and Alister at the same time, there is a flash in Zerowing's eyes suddenly as both Alister and Zerowing are thrown into darkness. Alister looks around as Zerowing does the same. 

"Where… are we?" asks Alister. 

"This is where we die Alister... I'm sorry I was not able to help you anymore than I could..." replies Zerowing while looking away from Alister. 

"What?! You're telling me that we are about to die?!" shouts Alister in panic. 

"You blacked out while fighting Khan… I took control to save you from the lava. Khan is just overwhelming... this could be one evil that I cannot overcome…" Zerowing says while looking the other direction. Alister puts his hand on Zerowing's right shoulder before the black reploid looks towards his face. 

"You may not be able to do it alone… but together we have a fighting chance! Are you with me Zerowing?" asks Alister while holding out his hand. 

Zerowing nods and shakes hands with Alister. The two are suddenly engulfed in a white light that shines over the entire area. As Khan walks away from his victory the light suddenly catches his eye. As he turns around there is a white aura around Alister's body as Khan is suddenly thrown back. Black Rockman stands to his feet while removing the scythe from his stomach, as if he was never touched in the first place. 

"Back for more are we? I'll be glad to kill you again!" Khan tells him. 

"Take this!" Alister yells as he slashes towards Khan. 

He blocks with his scythe but Alister cuts through it connecting with Khan's chest again. This time he cuts through and hits the skin. Khan lets out a scream of pain as the Model S quickly heals him as both of them still have an aura around them. Alister is panting from the fighting, his body is finally starting to get tired. Khan takes notice of his heavy breathing and laughs. Khan leaps towards him and jabs his hand into Alister's stomach. 

"Aghh! What are you… doing?!" Alister cries out as he falls to one knee. 

"That was a nerve freeze. Within minutes you won't even be able to move let alone fight. This is the end for you Alister. In this world evil triumphs over justice. Enjoy your death Black Rockman!" Khan laughs as he simply disappears from Alister's view. Losing his grip on reality Alister looks around in panic. 

"Alister…" Model ZW starts. 

"What is it Model ZW?" asks Alister as he lies down on the ground feeling so cold suddenly. 

"I'm sorry… I cannot stop the nerve freeze. It is not permanent... however judging by our situation…" Model ZW says. 

"Don't even say it… Model ZW… we lost…" speaks Alister as he can feel the rock under him give away. He closes his eyes as his body hits the pool of lava below. 

"Eternal light… has just fallen into eternal darkness…" thinks Alister as he could only think of Angeline. Her image suddenly appears in front of him, reaching towards him.

"Angeline..." Alister whispers while reaching back towards her as the lava closes in on his view. 

It was silent after that moment. Alister was lost in battle against Khan. Days later after his defeat Khan used his powers to take control of the entire planet. Defeating Vent and Aile along with the rest of the Guardian's, Khan ruled with an iron fist. The world has entered into a dark future with no hope at all. Who can stand up to this evil? One day a hero will rise again and stand up to the evil, until that day comes… there will always be light in the darkness… 

Rockman ZW Part One… End…

Authors Note: No, this is not the end of the story. This is only the first part of the Rockman ZW Trilogy! To all of the readers out there, I hope you have enjoyed the first part of the story, because now we enter "Rockman ZW: The Dark Ages"


	24. Chapter 23: Fallen Hero of Light

Rockman ZW: The Dark Ages

Chapter 23: Fallen Hero of Light...

Ten years has passed since the fight with Khan. Once he defeated Black Rockman he went on to destroy the Guardian HQ. With his chaotic powers Khan terrorized the world and proclaimed himself as a god among men. Vent and Aile rose up many times to fight against Khan and his evil. They failed each time. Soon, the two heroes simply disappeared off the face of Tera. Not a soul knew of their location, but due to the fact that Vent and Aile disappeared, a rebel force rose up to take their place. Known as the Tera Resistance they do not fight Khan directly as they are well aware of his power. They rescue the poor and give them a home free of charge.

Rather than pay tribute to Khan everyday they now live their live in happiness. The above world is over run by fear, murder, rage and hate. Although the Tera Resistance is beginning to run low on energy supplies, they begin to dispatch mining units to dig in the unknown areas where old energy cells have been giving off pulses. A two man team was sent to a volcano in one of the unknown areas. Recently something powerful has been giving off massive amounts of energy pulses in that area. This newly found energy source is large enough to give the Resistance power for years to come. Two diggers are sent to the volcano, they use their tracker system to follow the pulses towards the middle of the volcano. These two diggers have just graduated from their classes, their names are Russell and May lee.

At the moment both of them are wearing blue jean overalls with white shirts. Yellow gloves, brown boots and helmets with plus signs on them. There are lights on the helmets. They carry their pix axes over their shoulders as they track down the energy source. Russell has blonde hair that is short and only reaches to his ears. He has brown eyes and a scar above his left eye. May lee has blue hair that reaches her hips. She wears it in a pony tail with crystal blue eyes as well that sparkle even in the dark volcano. They reach a wall that is giving off the energy pulses. They begin to chip away at the cooled off lava. The area around them shakes a little while working.

"Umm… Russell?" May lee asks while wiping sweat off of her forehead.

"What is it May lee?" he questions in return as she begins to look around as the shaking stops.

"I thought this volcano wasn't active anymore…?" she asks him while her eyes wander around.

"I wouldn't worry about this old volcano. It's been dead for years now." he assures her as he wipes his own sweat from his forehead. May lee looks around as she wonders. She gets back to work soon after chipping away at the cooled lava pile. An hour and a half has passed as they take a small break to get a drink of water from their canteens.

"Cheers." Russell jokes as he bumps his canteen with hers. As they take their drink the shaking begins again. This time rocks begin to drop around them scaring them a bit. The rocks land on their equipment snapping their tools in two. The wall behind them breaks off a large chunk and lands between them. The shaking stops soon after as the two stand to their feet.

"That's great. Now we don't have anything to use here." Russell complains as he moves the rocks away from their wheel barrel. May lee gets out their tracker and examines the chunk of rock that had just fallen.

"We may not have to Russell. According to the tracker whatever is inside of this chunk of rock has our energy supply!" she says with joy as he walks over to her.

"That's great! Let's get it on the wheel barrel then!" he replies as they struggle to lift the rock. They spend half an hour getting it on the wheel barrel. Being in the middle of the volcano they have a long ways to go. They wheel it up the paths and sometimes down with ease. They lose control many times and drop their treasure a lot. Every time they stop and pick it back up while stressing themselves each and every time.

"Just think of the energy we'll have when we get this back! No more cold water to shower with!" May lee says with joy.

"I heard that… those showers suck at five in the morning." he says with a stressed face. May lee laughs as she walks along before they come to a narrow bridge made of rock. There is no other way across as the three wheels barely fit on the narrow path when they arrived there before. Sooner or later they make it across. With a sigh of relief from both of them they sit down for a moment to drink some more. As they drink a few shadows run past them alarming them quite a bit.

"Russell!" May lee shouts.

"I know! The Destroyers are here…" he replies while looking around. They grab they wheel barrel and make a run for it. The shadows get closer and closer until finally one of them jumps in front of them. They come to a screeching halt as the wheel barrel falls over on its side. The rock slides near the edge of a cliff and lies there.

"No!" May lee shouts while running towards it. The shadow figure jumps in front of the rock as she stops dead in her tracks.

"Energy… source… belong to Lord Khan!" the shadow growls as it reveals its razor sharp claws and gets ready to strike.

"May lee!" Russell shouts from behind as he pulls her out of deaths way. They turn around to run but the shadow still stands in front of them. It slashes at Russell and leaves a large gash in his left arm. He rolls on the ground in pain as May lee stands there scared to death. She starts to panic as the shadow walks closer. It slams her up against the rock nearly causing it to fall off. Suddenly it begins to blink.

"I've never seen a power cell do that before… it must be powerful!" May lee thinks as she pulls it to safety. The shadow stands directly behind her as she stops pulling the rock.

"Humans… die!" it roars before striking down on her. There is a flash of light as a sound is heard that sounds like rocks breaking. As the flash ends May lee opens her eyes to see another figure standing in front of her. It is blocking the shadow's attack with its arms.

"What…?" she thinks turning around. The rock has been shattered. She turns to see the second figure pushing the shadow back.

"Help your friend up!" the figure shouts to her while turning back towards the shadow. She quickly nods before rushing to Russell's aid. She helps him up as they watch the two figures fight it out. The shadow is larger than the one that saved May lee. The smaller one leaps towards the shadow and kicks it in the neck causing it to stagger backwards. There is a light shining through a hole above them. The shadow walks into the light as does the smaller figure.

"Is that... a Rockman??" Russell asks as the hero turns to him.

"The name is Alister!" he replies while slashing towards the shadow with his left arm slasher. He looks to the shadow to realize it is Sonic Tiger. He is all black and somewhat larger than before. He charges towards Alister with all his might as he does the same thing. They pass by each other as Russell and May lee watch. Both Alister and Sonic Tiger stand still, finally Sonic Tiger turns around before exploding. Alister walks over to the diggers while gasping for air.

"Are you two alright…?" he asks them finding it harder and harder to breath by the second

"Yes… but how…?" May lee starts to ask before Alister collapses on the ground in front of them. He transforms back to normal as Model ZW falls next to him. Russell rolls him over to see his face then picks up the Live Metal.

"It looks… broken…" May lee takes notice as she looks at it. They put both of them in the wheel barrel, and head back home before any more shadows can appear.

End of Chapter 23


	25. Chapter 24: Dark History

Rockman ZW: The Dark Ages

Chapter 24: Dark History

Lights blink in a hospital room where Alister lies resting. Wires are hooked up to him as a scanner next to his bed keeps check on his vital signs. People are walking around him with small devices in their hands. Outside of the room is Russell and May lee. They are sitting down next to the door wearing their normal clothes. Russell is wearing a yellow shirt with short sleeves. He wears black shorts with brown shoes. May lee wears a light red short sleeve shirt with white shorts. She's not wearing a pony tail at the moment. They stand to their feet as one of the doctor's open the door and walk out.

"You are Russell and May lee correct?" he asks them while looking through some papers.

"Yes." they reply as the doctor scratches his forehead.

"I'm Doctor Ennis. Now for your friend… Alister was it? I don't really have any explanation on how he's survived for so long." he addresses them.

"What do you mean?" Russell questions.

"Well since the day he went missing, to just a few hours ago… he has not aged one bit. He is the same age as the records show. The only thing I can see wrong with him now is the fact that his muscles haven't been used in a long time, and that caused him to faint on you like he did." he explains to them.

"What about the Live Metal?" May lee asks.

"That must be how Alister even survived this long. You see from as far as I can tell… the Live Metal is what kept him alive. It used the energy from the lava to power itself for so long. As you know the volcano has been in-active for some time now. Although it saved Alister's life… I'm afraid the Live Metal cannot be saved." Dr. Ennis tells them.

"The Live Metal… is destroyed?" asks May lee.

"To be more accurate, it is out of energy. The many years of wear and tear… not to mention keeping Alister alive... It was just too much for the Live Metal to handle. It sacrificed itself for his life, Alister is completely healthy because of this." he tells them.

"Well… thanks for your help Doctor Ennis. When can we see him?" asks Russell.

"Unless you're family… not until he at least wakes up. Are you two family to him?" he asks them.

"You could say that… he always watched over us when we were little kids. It's really an odd feeling to catch up to him in age difference." jokes May lee. The doctor thinks for a moment before telling everyone else to get out of the room.

"I'll make an exception this time, go on in." he says while holding the door for them. They thank him before walking inside and sitting on a couple of chairs that are next to the bed.

"I can't believe it. It's really Alister… he use to help my mom with her money problems… and helped watch me while she was gone." Russell tells May lee.

"He helped my family too. I had a big family with many brothers and sisters… he was always there to play with us when nobody else would… and when my family was killed by mavericks… he was there to help me find a new home." May lee says as Alister's eyes move from left to right. They sit there and look at him while thinking of the past times they spent with him. Half an hour go by before Alister wakes up to two faces watching him. He sits up while holding his head.

"I seem to have a bad habit of people watching me while I sleep." Alister says before yawning. He looks around to see that he is inside of a hospital room… one with many new and strange objects.

"Hi Alister… it's good to see you're awake." May lee says with a happy face. Alister makes sure this time that he has clothes on. He stands up, while searching for Model ZW but cannot find it.

"Where is my Model ZW?" he asks them.

"Oh… about that…" Russell starts.

"Don't tell me… it was lost?" he asks them.

"You could say that…" May lee speaks up as Alister gives her a look.

They walk him out of the room and down the hallways as people look at them. Alister takes notice to the nurses and doctors wearing full white clothes with face masks. Something that many people would only dream about in nightmares. They lead him into a room with cables running into it. As they turn on the lights Alister finds Model ZW lying on a table cracked and broken to pieces.

"What happened?!" he panics as he runs up to it.

"This Live Metal… Model ZW… used all of its power to keep you alive all this time." Russell tells him as Alister just gives him a look.

"All this time…? Just how long have I been out of it?!" he asks them as they look at each other before looking at him.

"Ten years." May lee tells him while Alister slowly turns around to look at the broken Model ZW lying before him. As he runs his finger across the large crack down the middle of the Live Metal he closes his eyes for a moment.

"Thank you Zerowing… you sacrificed yourself for my life. I will always remember you." he thinks before hearing an echo in his head.

"You are welcome…" it echoes before going silent. Alister looks around the room thinking that someone else was there.

"By the way… there are some people that want to see you Alister. They were very happy when they learned you were back." Russell tells him.

"Oh yeah? Who might that be?" asks Alister with a curious look. They walk him out of the hospital after checking with the doctor first. Alister looks around in despair. The buildings and homes are old and broken looking. A lot of them have holes in the side and holes in the roof. One place sticks out however. It's a heavily fortified base with gates all around it.

"What time is it right now?" he asks them.

"Half past noon. Why do you ask?" May lee asks while checking her watch.

"Then why is it so dark out right now?" Alister asks them.

"Because we live underground. That's our sky up there." Russell says while pointing towards the rocks above them. They walk up to the gates of the base as soldiers dressed in rags rush them.

"Who is this? I've never seen him before!" one says with a loud voice.

"It's alright, he is with us Ron." May lee tells him.

The soldier nods then returns to his post. He issues the order to let them in. They continue on their path as they enter the base. It is much cleaner inside of the base rather than it is outside. Many of the soldiers inside seem to recognize Alister, but he's never seen them before in his life. As they walk into the command room which is full of state of the art computers and viewing monitors, two people greet the three.

"Alister! It's good to see you alive!" one of them shouts as he hugs him.

"Good… to see you too?" Alister struggles to say as the air is being squeezed out of him. The person lets go of him as the second figure walks up to him. They turn the lights on as Alister looks up to see their faces.

"Blake! Aile!" Alister shouts in joy as he looks at them.

Blake's hair has grown out a bit, and he now wears a yellow and green version of Aile's clothes. Aile now has much longer hair than before. They both smile at Alister as he smiles back.

"How did all of this happen? Where is Vent?" Alister asks as Aile stops smiling. Blake puts his hand on Alister's shoulder and walks him forward.

"There is a lot that you need to know Alister." he says while walking him to a seat. It is positioned at a round table with at least twenty seats all around it. Blake and Aile sit next to Alister as Russell and May lee sit to the left of them. Blake moves his hand across the table as a screen pops up in front of them.

"Alister… Vent is dead." Aile says while hanging her head.

"How did this happen?!" Alister shouts as Blake calms him down.

"I guess we should start from the time you went missing… Khan began his rampage across Tera after defeating you. His first act was to destroy the Guardian HQ. He did so as Vent and myself was in charge of getting everyone to safety. Vent took Model O and stayed behind to fight with Khan. We never heard from Vent again…" Aile tells him.

"I'm sorry to hear that… if only I had of won…" Alister speaks with tears filling his eyes. Aile puts her hand on his right shoulder.

"Khan's ambition didn't stop there. After destroying Guardian HQ he started to rally people towards his cause. And soon war broke out across the land. Spreading nothing but death in its path. One mans rage, caused all of this that you see before you. The first year we thought was hell… but what is truly hell? Khan is like a plague that has to be dealt with. Five years after we lost you we formed the Tera Resistance. Not only do we fight to protect the right of all humans, we give them shelter from Khan." Blake tells Alister as he hangs his head in shame.

"Alister… don't beat yourself up over this. It was not your fault. We knew that you fought as hard as you could to protect us." Aile comforts him as Alister looks at the screen. The videos show people running in terror from Khan himself, quickly followed by the people he turned against the world.

"The rest is simple. We've been at war with Khan for a long time now. We've been holding out only because of the love these people have for this planet. Let me show you something Alister." Blake speaks before standing up. Alister stands with him as Aile does the same.

"Russell, May lee, go ahead." Aile tells the two diggers as they walk Alister to a large round metal floor. Russell pulls a lever as May lee does the same. They are teleported suddenly to the outside limits of the large underground city.

"Everyone lives in peace here. We have no need for money so nobody fights over it. We're underground and yet we've already beaten Khan. We are brothers and sisters as we help each other day to day." Blake says while looking towards the city.

"How far are we underground?" Alister asks them.

"About ten miles under the surface." Aile replies.

"How do you survive that far down? What about air? What about food and water?" Alister asks them.

"We have our ways. We have many large air tubes that pump air into the city every minute of the day." Blake speaks.

"As well as tubes of water that come from the ocean itself. Our systems clean out all of the dirty materials to make it fresh clean water. We have farmers that grow food down here and is closely monitored at all times." explains Aile as they are teleported back to the base.

"Sorry for the interruption, but we have some trouble on our side!" May lee tells them.

"What's wrong?" Aile asks while walking up to the table. Russell press some buttons before another screen shows up. It shows a massive amount of troops marching.

"That's what is wrong! Those troops marching towards one of our air supply points!" Russell tells them. Blake runs towards one of the computers and starts to issue orders to counter it. A woman walks into the room soon after wearing a crystal blue vest and black jeans. Her brown hair reaches to her shoulders.

"What are your orders Blake?" she asks as Blake walks over to Aile.

"Khan's troops are heading towards our air supply at point G five. Go there and make sure that our air supply is not taken from us! Expect very heavy resistance on Khan's part. Aile, you go back her up as much as you can. I will stay here just in case anything happens." Blake tells her.

"Roger that sir! I'm on my way!" she replies before running out of the room. Aile turns to Blake and kisses him on the lips. Alister just gives them an odd look.

"Like I said, a lot of things have happened while you were gone. Go on Aile, and be careful." he tells her before she nods and follows after the girl from before. Alister shakes off the shock before running up to Blake.

"I want to help out Blake! Let me go with them!" he begs as Blake thinks.

"Alister… but without your Live Metal…" he starts.

"I was a fighter long before I had Model ZW. I'll always be a fighter even without his help! I want to help protect!" Alister says while watching the screen of marching forces. Blake sighs before he chuckling to himself a bit.

"I guess I can't really argue with that can I? You will be under Sara's command. She is the one who was just in here a minute ago. She's tough, but a very trustful person. Now go! The first turn to the right once you leave this room will take you to them!" Blake tells Alister as he places his hand on Alister's left shoulder.

"Got it!" replies Alister as he runs out of the command room.

"You're not going to tell him?" Model B asks Blake.

"No, let him figure it out on his own. It is better this way." he replies. Alister runs down a large hallway with a light at the end. As soon as he reaches the end of the hallway he walks onto a railway that goes around the hanger. He can spot Aile and Sara giving orders. Sara suddenly holds her left hand up to her ear.

"Sir? Alister? But sir he… I understand. No sir, it's not going to be a problem... roger." she says while looking up towards Alister.

"Go easy on him Sara. Remember he's been in more fights than you have." Aile tells her as she huffs.

"You there!" she shouts to Alister.

"Yeah?" he shouts back.

"Get down here now! We're leaving!" she continues to shout as Alister jumps down.

She seemed shocked to see him fall from that height and live. He makes his way through the crowd of soldiers towards the front where his newly appointed commanding officer is waiting. He makes eye contact with Sara as she does with him. He takes notice that she has sky blue eyes like he does, she does the same.

"Sara… I take it?" he asks her.

"You got it, grab a weapon and get inside. We're taking off right now!" she shouts to the crowd.

"I don't use guns though…" he tells her as she gets in his face, as he stands firm.

"Suck it up! You want to help then you have to follow my commands! Is that understood hero?" she asks almost mocking him.

Alister nods before grabbing a gun from her. Although he knows good and well that he is not going to fire it even once. As he climbs in some of the soldiers push him around and crowd him. They lift off soon inside of what look like jets.

The very large jets fly through the rocky tunnels until they reach the surface of the planet. Alister looks around as all he can see is devastation. He looks around among the men that surround him and notice that not all of them are wearing the same thing. A lot of them are wearing casual clothes as if they were picked from the crowds of the streets.

"We're at the arrival point! Hang on everyone! It's about to get bumpy! Do it!" she shouts to the pilots. Alister wonders what is going on as the ride becomes not so smooth. About a minute later Sara gives the order for them to get out. Alister is the first out as he turns around to see that the jet has been turned into a land based tank. He turns around to see the enemy rushing towards them.

"Crap." he says before everyone rushes out of the tanks.

End of Chapter 24


	26. Chapter 25: Against All Odds

Rockman ZW: The Dark Ages

Chapter 25: Against All Odds

A battle cry is heard before the Tera Resistance begins to open fire on the oncoming enemy. Khan's forces do the same as they take position behind hills across the land. Alister looks around with an attempt to take grasp of the situation as the tanks fire behind him. He ducks as the Tera Resistance realizes they are out in the open.

"Sara! I will flush them out! You ready the troops for an advance!" Aile shouts while heading to the front of the forces.

"Roger that Aile!" Sara replies while turning around towards her troops.

"Rock on!" shouts Aile as she transforms into Model HX. She slashes her sabers to the side as she takes into the air.

She flies over Alister's head as she heads towards the enemy. They open fire as she deflects the shots with her arm sabers. She goes on the offensive and sends multiple shockwaves at the enemy force. She suddenly transforms into Model FX before free falling to the ground with a massive impact that quickly follows. They can see the enemy units fly up into the air as Aile jumps up as Model ZX. Aile defeats soldier after soldier before they realize they have to leave their current position. Finally Khan's forces run out into the open as Sara signals her troops.

"Aile did her part, now let's do our part as well! Charge!" Sara yells as they all run forward.

Another battle cry can be heard as Alister is in the middle of the charge. The forces collide with each other finally as the blood begins to spill. An enemy unit starts to fire at the group Alister is in. As he jumps out of the way his friendly unit goes down very quickly. They begin to open fire on Alister as he lands, he throws the gun at the enemy unit before charging at them directly.

"What is that fool doing? He's going to get himself killed like that!" Sara says as she begins to run towards Alister.

"Leave him alone Sara!" Aile shouts as she dashes up behind her.

"He's going to get himself killed like that!" Sara argues.

"Alister is easily the best fighter out there right now, watch him closely. If in someway he was to get his Live Metal back, you are the one who will train him." Aile tells her before dashing off once again.

Sara watches him as Aile instructed her to do. The enemy unit surrounds Alister quickly as he rolls out of the way of their shots. He rushes one of the soldiers on his left and grabs him from behind. Throwing him in front of his friendly unit, Alister uses him to jump into the air. They quickly look up to fire thinking they can kill him easily in the air.

Alister twists and spins to avoid getting shot before he lands on the ground. He kicks two of the soldiers feet out from under them before doing several back flips to avoid more gunfire. From the back flips he springs forward suddenly knocking a few of them out at a time. The remaining unit charges towards him thinking they can over power him. Alister turns quickly to punch two of them in the stomach knocking them out as well.

The last two of the unit simply run away as Alister catches his breath. Sara is silent after that display before turning to join her allies in the battle. Rushing towards the enemy she leaps into the air rapidly firing her pistol. Her shots are accurate as every shot hits the enemy. They fall to the ground as she continues forward. She lets out a battle cry as her allies do the same.

They rush forward with her as she continues to fire her pistol. A large group of enemies charge towards them as she charges her pistol. Releasing the burst of energy stored inside it cuts through the enemy unit charging towards them. She grabs the neck of an enemy soldier before snapping it with a bit of a struggle. She then hurls the body at the enemy unit before firing another charge shot from her pistol.

She suddenly staggers backwards before falling to the ground as an enemy bullet strikes her in the left arm. She turns around to see her ally unit go down hard. The enemy runs up to her getting ready to kill her. Alister jumps in front of them taking them all out in a matter of seconds. He turns to Sara and holds his hand out.

"Are you alright?" he asks her as she stands up on her own.

"Thanks for the help." she snobs him as she goes on her way as Alister takes notice that her left arm is no longer bleeding.

"Wait a minute…" he thinks before there is a sudden silence across the battlefield. A dark cloud hovers over the land with no lightning and no rain at all, not even thunder is heard. Aile and Sara look to the sky expecting their enemy as two figures appear in the sky as the dark cloud disappears.

"Sara get our forces out of here now! It's Pandora and Prometheus! They will kill them all!" Aile yells to Sara.

"Alright! You distract them!" she replies to Aile as she nods. The green warrior flies towards them into the sky.

"Look… it's the female Rockman." Pandora says as Prometheus turns to her.

"Come to die have we?" he asks her.

"I was about to ask you the same thing! Hah!" she shouts before dashing towards the two.

Sara finds that the enemy force is pulling back due to the arrival of Pandora and Prometheus. She makes the choice to go help Aile as the Tera Resistance is safe from harm. Alister follows her as she runs towards Aile. All of the Resistance leaves except one tank. The other tanks transform into jets and take off.

"Alister! You should have gone with the others!" Sara shouts at him.

"Hey! Aile is my friend too! I'm not going to just leave her here by herself!" he argues.

"Suit yourself! Just don't fall behind kid!" she returns.

Pandora rushes Aile knocking her down towards the ground. Before hitting she activates her thrusters at full power, and flies along the ground. Prometheus fights with her as she nearly hits the ground. Transforming into Model PX she begins to throw kunai's at him. He deflects them with his double scythe before slashing towards Aile. Suddenly Sara tackles him and sends him flying towards Pandora.

"Sara!" Aile calls out to her before returning to normal.

"Alister! She is worn out from the fighting! You help her while I take care of these two!" Sara orders Alister as she stands in front of the two.

"Alright… but I still don't see how…" Alister starts before he can see Sara hold up a Live Metal.

"Rock on!" she shouts before a blue light surrounds Sara.

"She has a Live Metal too?" Alister asks out loud as Aile turns to him in his arms.

"Yes... she holds Model T." Aile tells him.

Alister watches as she charges the enemy. Her Model is a crystal blue color with some darker blue on her shoulder pads and legs. She holds a blue staff with her right hand. Her helmet looks a lot like Model LX but with two smaller spikes near her forehead that stick to the side. She jumps towards the two while swinging her staff at them.

Pandora barely manages to dodge her first attack as suddenly her arm starts to spark, it was cut somehow. They look back at Sara to see her smirk as she puts the blade at the tip of the staff back. Prometheus charges forward twirling his double scythe at her. She jumps into the air before sending a wave of ice towards his scythe. Freezing it upon contact he breaks the ice with his fist. Suddenly his scythe explodes throwing him back.

"She hid… explosives in her attack." Pandora speaks as Prometheus rolls next to her.

"I'm not giving up! If I can't have the blue Rockman I'll kill the other two!" Prometheus says before dashing towards Alister and Aile.

Pandora holds Sara down as she shouts for them to move. Alister runs in the other direction with Aile in his arms. He hears Sara shouting as he turns around to see Prometheus tackle him from behind. Aile flies out of his arms and rolls along the ground before stopping at the feet of Prometheus. Aile looks up at him to see him smiling and cackling.

"I'll kill you." he tells her before raising his double scythe into the air. She couldn't transform again, not after being so weak. Alister tackles him from the side and stands in front of Aile to protect her.

"I'll deal with you after I kill her! Now get out of my way!" he shouts at Alister.

"I'm not moving until you leave!" he replies.

"You would throw your life away to save hers? Such heroic nonsense…" Prometheus says before charging forward again. Alister braces for the attack as there is a warm light that surrounds him suddenly.

"Alister...!" Aile thinks as she watches from behind.

"You will not harm her!" Alister shouts. Back at the base labs Model ZW suddenly begins to glow and shake as if an earthquake was going on. The scientists turn around shocked to see that Model ZW has disappeared without a trace. Prometheus slashes as Model ZW suddenly appears in front of the attack.

"What?!" asks a rather shocked Prometheus. Model ZW sends a shockwave at the attacker which throws him back again.

"Alister… your courage and hope has brought me here. You have proven that the eternal light will forever shine. Shall we?" asks Model ZW as Alister grabs the Live Metal that was hovering in front of him.

"Got it! Rock on!" Alister shouts as he is surrounded by light. As his armor forms onto his body he throws his arms to his sides before the light dies down finally. When he steps out, he is Black Rockman once again.

"This can't be! His Live Metal was destroyed!" Prometheus yells as Alister walks closer to him with his left arm slasher out and ready to attack. Sara and Pandora take notice in the distance as Pandora breaks away from Sara.

"Round two!" Alister shouts as he charges forward.

End of Chapter 25


	27. Chapter 26: Test of Skills

Rockman ZW: The Dark Ages

Chapter 26: Test of Skills

"So you have become a Rockman again? I guess that means I will just have to rip that Live Metal from your cold hands!" shouts Prometheus as he charges forward. Alister braces for the impact as his foe rushes him, but before the attack Alister disappears before appearing behind Prometheus.

"What?!" Prometheus shouts in shock.

"Gotcha." smirks Alister before slashing wildly. A deep cut can be seen on the back of Prometheus as he yells out in pain before Pandora rushes to his aid.

"We have to leave." she tells him as Prometheus is silent. He only glares at Alister as they vanish without a trace. Upon leaving Alister lets out a sigh of relief as he falls down to his knees.

"Phew… that took a lot out of me…" he pants as Sara walks up still equipped with her Live Metal.

"Not bad kid, but don't get cocky just because you have your Live Metal back. There is still a lot for you to learn." she tells him while Aile walks up with a smile, holding her right arm.

"It is good to see you back in the action Alister. Let's head back to base you two, we need to fill Blake in on all of this." she tells them.

As the Sara and Alister return to normal, Alister still finds himself short of breath. They climb into the tank before it transforms into the jet. It flies back toward the base at high speed. Upon arriving Alister collapses on the ground in front of the entire Resistance. Aile has Sara rush him to the medical bay as his face begins to turn a pale white color. Hours later Dr. Ennis walks out of Alister's room, he is greeted by Aile and Blake.

"So what is the problem doc?" asks Blake before Ennis rubs his head with stress.

"Well, he's an odd case that's for sure. There is nothing really wrong with him psychically… mentally is another story." he explains to them as the two give him an odd look.

"So… he is making himself this way?" asks Aile as Ennis shakes his head.

"No, I think he is going through a mental battle with himself right now. I cannot find a single thing wrong with his body. Not a scratch, not a bruise, nothing at all. Maybe there is another doctor you should be seeing." Dr. Ennis says while walking away. Soon after Alister walks out while putting on his blue jean jacket.

"Hey! You really think you should be walking around already?" Blake asks him while stopping him by grabbing his right arm.

"If I was sick, then you wouldn't be the only one holding me back now would you?" Alister asks with a glare as Aile just laughs while Blake releases him.

"Well then I guess we can go ahead and ask him Aile." he says while looking at her. She nods as Alister gives them an odd look. They walk back to the Headquarters and meet with the tech crew.

"Where is May lee and Russell?" asks Alister.

"Those two are diggers with a high ranking license. They are able to go and dig in more dangerous areas than most diggers are even allowed to look at. They're on a mission right now, so we expect them back in about a week." Aile explains to him.

"Diggers huh?" thinks Alister as Blake motions for him to sit down.

Alister sits down as Blake and Aile sit on the opposite side. They press a few buttons before a screen appears in front of Alister. It has his picture on it, as well as his Guardian license. A smaller picture of his Live Metal is also displayed near the top right corner.

"What is this?" questions Alister.

"This would be your Guardian license. We use the Guardian system around here so all of the data from the past Guardian's is also in there. We never deleted your file in hopes that you would one day return to us." Blake tells him.

"Which means by rights you are still a part of the Guardian's, which is now the Tera Resistance. We need your help Alister." says Aile.

"So in other words I'm just going to be another soldier on the battle field?" asks Alister as he closes his eyes.

"Not at all Alister, you have been with the Guardian's for a long time according to this record. Regardless of your absence you are still a part of us. For being with us for such a long time, we have the choice to make you whatever we choose Alister. Maybe I should call you Field Commander Alister now?" Blake asks with a smile.

"I don't think I have heard of that rank before… what is it?" Alister asks.

"A special rank that we just came up with, but that is beside the point. You will be working next to the general of the forces. You will work with her and she will work with you. However… she is above you in rank, as field commander has rank above everything else. She is the only one besides us that can command you." Aile replies while a stressed look appears on Alister's face upon hearing the words come out of Aile's mouth.

"Let me guess who the general is." Alister stresses before hearing the doors open behind him, Sara walks in and stands behind Alister.

"Just in time general Sara, we have just explained everything to Alister. He is all yours for now." Aile says with a silent chuckle.

"Alright." she replies while looking at Alister. "Let's go kid." she adds while walking out.

"You stuck me with that?" asks Alister before Sara drags him out of the command room. Blake couldn't help but laugh at the sight.

"You know I have a feeling those two are going to make a really good team." Aile mentions before a loud crash can be heard outside of the room. Suddenly Alister runs by the doors while Sara chases after him.

"You mean once they learn to get along?" Blake asks with a smile as Alister runs down the hallway, followed by Sara.

"Now I'm worried." Aile mutters while hanging her head. As an hour passes by Alister finds himself in what looks like an arena. A small circle shaped area with seats all around. Sara walks out in front of him with her eyes closed.

"So I guess you're going to train me yourself?" he asks her.

"Yes. First of all I need to know what your current skill is. I didn't get the chance to watch you defeat Prometheus, but with that being said… not many can do so. For now you will go through three training areas. Speed, strength, and agility. Those three are all very different areas." she explains to him.

"Alright, bring on the first challenge." he replies while Alister takes notice to Blake walking out from behind her.

"Hey Alister, I will be your speed challenge." he tells him before Alister smiles at the thought of facing off with an old friend.

"Lets go Alister!." he says before Blake transforms into Model B. Alister quickly transforms into Model ZW.

"Blake is going to attack you first, you need to block his first attack then counter. Go!" Sara shouts over the speakers.

As the match starts Blake disappears without a trace. Alister looks for Blake but cannot see him. All of a sudden he appears in front of Alister punching wildly. He back steps to keep from being hit, however Blake is still right on him. He punches rapidly at Alister before stepping backwards himself. Blake stands in a fighting stance as Alister rushes forward with his fists clenched. He goes for a punch as Blake disappears from sight.

Alister turns around to see him standing on the other side of the arena with his arms crossed. Impressed, Alister disappears this time. Blake watches around him to wait for his attack. Alister appears behind him while getting ready for his attack as Blake turns around suddenly to punch Alister in the face. He falls to the ground as Blake walks away from him.

"You have gotten a lot stronger Blake." Alister says as he stands to his feet.

"I have had ten years to practice for this fight my friend. Now come on, I know you can do better than this!" Blake shouts.

In a sudden burst of speed Alister is attacking Blake with nearly the same speed from before. Blake blocks each punch as Alister attacks. Blake takes off running but Alister can see him this time. As Blake runs around the arena Alister appears next to him while glaring at him. He attacks this time with his left arm slasher which is met by Blake's hand dagger. They clash with each other before stopping in the middle. The two of them are heavy with breathing as a buzzer sound is heard. Blake returns to normal as Alister just stands there having a hard time with his breathing.

"The test of speed is over, move on to the next test." Sara says as Blake waves to Alister. Aile passes him on the way in and greets Alister before transforming into Model FX.

"I will be your opponent for the test of strength, I won't go easy on you Alister." Aile smirks.

"I would not expect anything else from you." he replies with a smirk of his own.

"For this test you are not allowed to use your speed to avoid her attacks. You will only counter with your own attacks." Sara shouts as another buzzer is heard.

Aile punches towards Alister which shoots fire from the cannon on her right arm. Alister uses his left arm slasher to slash through the attack. He does so but there are burn marks on his arm. As Model ZW regenerates Aile starts to send multiple waves of flames towards him. This time his arm slashers are glowing as he slashes at the waves of fire. She soon stops before striking the ground with such force that even Alister staggers backwards. He looks up to see a massive wave of fire. He is hit as he is sent flying at the wall behind him. Another buzzer noise is heard as Alister stands to his feet.

"That looks like it stings a bit." she laughs while returning to normal. Alister is once again finding it hard to breath as Aile walks out. Sara then walks in before placing her Live Metal on the ground near the entrance..

"Now for your final trial today… agility. If you can land a hit on me before a minute has passed, you have passed this test. Now let us begin." she tells him.

"You're not… going to transform?" he asks her while breathing heavily.

"I will not need my Live Metal for this test. Attack me!" she shouts.

Alister shrugs off the pain that is growing in his body from being tired. Black Rockman rushes towards Sara at great speed, he goes for a kick to the stomach. With her legs completely still Sara bends backwards without touching the ground. Alister is very shocked by this and goes for another attack. He attempts to kick out her legs. She leaps into the air before landing beside Alister. He starts to rapidly punch at her as she stands there with her arms crossed. He starts to get stressed that he is not able to hit her. As he punches he watches her movements, Alister steps backwards to take a few moments to breath.

"You still have a few seconds left, ten to be exact." she tells him with a smile.

Alister catches his breath before going on the offensive again. Sara is still avoiding his attacks with ease. As the seconds go by Alister closes his eyes. Sara takes notice of this as she also takes notice that his attacks are getting closer to her by the second. The last second goes by and the buzzer goes off, Sara finds Alister's fist in front of her face touching her nose. Alister opens his eyes as Sara moves backwards.

"Out of the three tests you have just gone through speed is definitely your forte. You do well with strength as well. Agility is where we will train most of the time. You adapt well to the situation as it calls for, which impresses me, not many can do what you have done in todays training session. That is enough for today however. Tomorrow we will begin to get serious with your training. You need to learn control over your Live Metal before anything else. Once you have learned how to do that you will feel power flowing from your Live Metal like you have never felt before, you are dismissed." she tells him before leaving. Alister returns to normal before finding his way out of the arena. He meets with Sara again on the way out. 

"I forgot to give you something. These are the keys to your new apartment room. It is located next to the base just in case an emergency occurs. Most of the Resistance lives there so maybe you will see some friendly faces." she says while handing him the keys to his new home.

He walks towards the apartments near the base while breaking out in a cold sweat. He looks at the number on his keys and takes the elevator to the third floor, his room is number C7. He unlocks the door and looks around for a moment, turning on the light to get a better look. His room has white walls with a bed and a small table next to it. The ceiling fan starts to move due to him flipping the light switch, to his left is a small kitchen.

To his right is his bathroom with a shower, no bathtub at all. He walks back out and takes off his blue jean jacket and his shirt. He pulls the covers down and gets in the bed. The pillow was soft and felt good compared to the pillows at the hospital. Still in a cold sweat he pulls the covers over him and soon falls asleep. Next to him on the small table Model ZW is slightly glowing.

End of Chapter 26


	28. Chapter 27: Alister The Spy

Rockman ZW: The Dark Ages

Chapter 27: Alister The Spy

As Alister lies there asleep, Blake and Aile check on him from time to time. He has been asleep for a day now without waking up. He tosses and turns most of the time that they are there. At times they take notice of Model ZW glowing, realizing that Alister has always been a mystery they shrug it off and walk out to come back later to check on him. Upon Aile's next visit Alister wakes up to her standing over him checking his body heat. As his eyes open Aile smiles at the sight of him waking up after so long.

"Angeline…" Alister softly speaks before turning his head to the right, falling asleep again while Aile backs up.

"Poor guy, I know what he's going through…" she thinks while covering him up again. As she closes the door Sara walks by.

"Hello Aile, how is he doing?" she asks her while resting her hands on her hips.

"He's still troubled. Just now he called me Angeline, she was his love… killed by Khan... she died in his arms…" Aile replies while looking towards Alister's door.

"I guess I would be down too… if I knew the world went downhill because of my failure." Sara says with a frown. Before Sara knew what was going on Aile slaps her in the face. Shocked by this Sara looks at Aile who has tears in her eyes.

"How dare you say something like that! Alister lost everyone he cared about! When he lost control of himself and Zerowing took control he watched his own hands kill thousands of people! He watched his friend die… Alister fought his hardest against Khan to protect the future, you have no right to judge him or talk about him like that!" Aile shouts to her as she grabs Sara by her shirt.

About then Alister walks out of the door. The two girls could not say one thing, they knew that he had heard everything. While putting on his blue jean jacket he walks past them, they could also see his own tears falling from his face as he walked by. As he walks into the elevator and the doors close, Aile pushes Sara against the wall before walking towards the elevator. Alister just hangs his head and presses the button to go down to the first floor. Aile punches the doors before looking back to Sara.

"Alister and myself share the same pain in ways… we have both lost someone we cared about in the past. It has taken me years to get over Jake… it will take Alister a long time to get over his love as well. When you have lost everything and everyone you have ever cared about… that is the only time I want to hear you complain!" she shouts again before the elevator door opens again. Sara looks towards Alister's open door as Aile leaves. Without another thought Sara goes back to her own room that is down the hallway from Alister's.

Alister wipes the tears from his eyes as he walks into the Resistance HQ. He asks to use the teleport device as Blake agrees to him using it. He walks on the pad before he is instantly taken to the point where Blake and Aile had taken him before. As he looks over the city he thinks back to what Sara said.

"I guess I would be down too… if I knew the world went downhill because of my failure." her voice echoes through his thoughts.

"All of this is my fault… all of it?" he thinks to himself while looking at the city.

The thought of people going through their own hell because of his error made him sick to his stomach. As he watched the city he begins to take notice that the streets are empty, not a single soul was to be found. He looks around to try and spot movement as he takes notice that there is a very large group of people standing in front of a white pillar.

"Bring me back now." says Alister across his new com device.

"You got it." replies Blake as Alister is teleported back almost instantly. Alister walks up to Blake who is just stepping down from the computer.

"Why is there a large group of people standing in front of a pillar?" asks a curious Alister.

"Today is the day of the week where people take time off of their job and home life to pay tribute to those who lost there lives in the past. Everyone gathers in front of the pillar, which also has record of everyone who did die because of Khan. Would you like to go see for yourself?" Blake asks him.

Alister nods before Blake leads him out of the command room. Before too long they walk up to the crowd of people who are silent. Some of them are crying, while others whisper among each other about the past. The two make their way to the front of the crowd as Alister begins to read the names among the large list. At the very top of the list is Angeline's name, with Jake next to her name followed by Vent.

"Angeline…" Alister mutters as an elderly woman hears him speak before realizing who he is. She steps in front of him before slapping him in the face. Both Alister and Blake were in shock. The slap turned the entire crowd towards them instead of the pillar.

"How dare you show your face here! Because of your failure we lost our family members and friends!" she shouts at him while crying. Others in the crowd agree with the old woman and start ranting towards Alister.

"But I…" starts a confused Alister as pain shoots through his body.

"But nothing! You don't need to be here!" the old woman interrupts. Alister suddenly breaks through the crowd and rushes towards his apartment room. Blake stands at the back of the crowd now, watching Alister run off.

"You shouldn't have brought him here." one man tells him as Blake's fist is now shaking.

"Shut up!" Blake screams as the crowd steps back a bit.

"Why are you defending him?! It's because of him…" the man begins before Blake punches him in the face. The man flies back into the crowd before they catch him.

"If anyone deserves to be here above any of you people it is Alister! Take a good long look at the first name in that list! Her name is Angeline! That was the name of Alister's love! Killed by Khan himself! She died in his own arms… how do you think that feels? Do any of you honestly know how that feels?! Because if you do then step forward and I will not say another word…" Blake shouts while everyone is silent, each of them with their head hanging in shame.

"He's right…" they whisper among each other.

"That man was fighting for the future... you people make me sick." Blake tells them while walking away.

Everyone in the crowd felt horrible after that moment. They each went their own way as a single child stands there looking at the names. Before too long even the child walks away. Blake returns to the command room figuring he needs to leave Alister alone for now. Alister lies on his bed thinking about what the old woman had said. Then he thinks of Angeline and her death. He could remember her last words to him. As he recalls those words, he bursts out in tears.

"Why am I even alive?! Why am I still breathing?!" he screams while shaking his head back and forth, crashing into the walls and the floor after a few moments.

Outside of his room Sara is walking past and can hear him screaming. She stops to listen to him and finds that he is crying. She reaches towards the door knob then stops herself, continuing towards the elevator. Alister sits down on his bed while wiping the tears away, he then looks in the mirror at himself.

"How can I possibly show my face in public again… those people lost so many of their loved ones because of me… all because of me!" Alister mutters to himself.

Half an hour passes as Alister is still sitting there looking at himself in the mirror. A beeping noise is heard from his com device as he pulls the red device out from his pocket and presses the answer button.

"Alister? I know you're there…" says Aile before Alister puts it up to his mouth.

"Yeah…" he replies.

"We have a mission for you, if you want to take it that is." she tells him before cutting transmission. Alister thinks and figures why not, it may help him. He wipes the remaining tears from his face before walking out. As he walks into the command room he is greeted by Aile who gives him a hug upon entering.

"W-What was that for?" he asks her before She releases and smiles at him.

"I know you are going through a hard time right now, but you're not alone." she tells him as she walks away. Alister feels better just knowing there are those who care about him. Aile sits down next to Blake who is at the large table in the middle.

"Have a seat Alister, this is your mission." he tells him as Alister takes a seat not too far from them.

"What is this mission about?" asks Alister before Blake presses down on the table. A screen pops up in front of Alister showing a very large building.

"For sometime now Khan has been building devices that are used to search for us. Most of these devices are stored in this large building you see in front of you. Recently Khan has been getting close to us, way too close for comfort. If he finds this place we will all die." Blake tells him.

"Where do I come in?" asks Alister as Aile starts moving her hands across the table which pulls up a few screens on Alister's left. One shows a guard while the other two show security devices.

"This is a very large building Alister. It is located two states away from us. We haven't had anyone sneaky enough to get in and get information for us… until now. Alister, you are to sneak into that building, get information on those devices that can find us, and if possible… destroy them." Aile tells him as Blake pulls up another screen to Alister's right side. It shows a large tank with a circular disk on the front side.

"This is what the device looks like, good luck Alister." Blake tells him.

"How am I going in?" asks Alister as Aile points to the teleport disk. Alister stands on it as the two get ready to send him off.

"You will be going in during the day, so stay hidden until night. That is going to be the best time to sneak in." Blake tells him.

"I can do sneaky." replies Alister with a smirk across his face.

"One more thing, you can not use your Live Metal outside of the building. If you do, they will detect you. Once inside the building you can use your Live Metal as much as your want." Aile brings up.

"I got it. I will be back with good news." he tells them.

With that being said he disappears. Before he knew what was going on he was in a desert area in the middle of the day. He could make out the building in the distance. He begins to make his way towards the building as he makes sure to turn his com device completely off before going any further. He basically crawls on the ground to get to his destination.

Hours pass by as the heat beats down on him. Thankfully the sun begins to go down as the evening arrives. It is not long before he will make his move towards the building. As more hours go by he takes notice of patrol tanks going back and forth, he figures this is a good time to head inside. The tanks move slowly so Alister is able to keep up with them. He slips underneath one and hides in a hole underneath the tank. As the treads go past him he can hear a gate opening.

He peeks his head out of the hole to see the gate closing behind him. As he smirks at the site of the gate closing he waits for the right moment to move. He looks ahead to see that the tanks are heading towards a hanger that is a good distance from the main building. He looks around to see if there could be anyone that would spot him. Acting quickly he drops from the tank and rolls to the side of the building. He looks around for above anything else, a vent to crawl into.

There is one really high up from the ground. He fires his grapple hook towards the vent that is sticking out of the wall. It wraps around the vent as he is sent towards it. He opens the vent cover and crawls inside before putting the cover back in place to avoid be detected. He quietly crawls through the vents as he takes notice of guards walking under him. Just like the data Aile had given him, they have an assault rifle ready to fire.

"Alister, would now be a good time?" asks Model ZW.

"Yes." Alister softly replies.

As he continues to crawl along he transforms into Black Rockman. He finds an open vent cover and looks out of it. There are many computers in that room, but not a single soul in sight. He looks around for any security cameras to find that there is one in the left corner of the room. He unties his scarf, then moves quick to cover the camera with his scarf. He sits down in the seat nearest to him and begins typing. He scans through the system for anything useful.

He finds blueprints of the tanks that can search for them. He plugs in a hard drive and copies everything he could find. While he copies he also finds the location to the tanks, on the first floor in the back. While he is at it he finds the controls for the cameras in the building. He turns the one in his current room off and puts his scarf back on. He takes notice to the door knob turning to the room and quickly removes the hard drive.

He crawls back in the vent as the man sits down to drink his coffee. Alister was thankful that he was able to close out of the programs he was in. He makes his way towards the first floor. He pulls out the hard drive and presses a button on the side. A small hologram appears as he looks through the data. He finds out that the tanks all have a special code to them, one code sticks out to Alister the most though.

He smirks before continuing on his way. He quietly slides down the vents until he finds no other way down. He figures that this is the first floor so he moves to the nearest vent cover to peek out of it. He spots many people walking in and out of a room. He watches closely as the doors swing open enough for him to spot the tanks. He moves around the vents enough to where he can slip behind one of the tanks. He crawls underneath one of the tanks before slashing the bottom of the tank open. He crawls inside and plugs in the hard drive.

"Activate code zero, zero, three. Code name is Silent." Alister speaks to the computer.

"Acknowledged. Ten minutes until self destruction." the computer replies.

He chuckles to himself before crawling back out of the tank. He sneaks back into the vent and closes the lid. He rushes through the vents, but still being quiet. He hates the fact that some people may end up dying. As he sneaks out of the vent that leads to the outside he can hear the explosions from the inside. The building starts to catch on fire soon after as the people from inside rush out. Alister sneaks out of the area and back into the desert where he is safe.

"This is Alister reporting in. I have the data and the tanks are gone." he says while waiting for a reply.

"Roger that Black Rockman, good work. Stay at your current location so we can bring you home." replies Aile. Alister looks into the distance to see the large building blow up before disappearing from view.

End of Chapter 27


	29. Chapter 28: Bitter Taste of War

Rockman ZW: The Dark Ages

Chapter 28: Bitter Taste of War

A few days after Alister's infiltration, he has been hard at work training with Sara. Blake and Aile watch them from a distance as the two train. They remain silent out of respect for their fellow fighters. They wonder when Alister is finally going to strike Sara. As Sara leaps around the arena Alister follows closely behind with sweat pouring off of him.

"Not agile enough!" she mocks as Alister falls behind a bit. 

Sara dodges one of his spin kicks before twirling her legs around to hit Alister. This knocks him to the ground with a loud cracking noise. The buzzer is heard while Alister punches the ground before standing to his feet.

"I'm disappointed Alister. You call that fighting? It was only childs play. You need to do better than that if you're going to help us in this war." she tells him while walking out. 

Alister just hangs his head in shame because he knows that she speaks the truth. He staggers towards the exit of the arena as Aile and Blake meet with him. Not paying attention he walks past them as they greet him.

"Alister?" Aile asks while grabbing his arm. 

"Sorry… what is it?" he returns the question while turning his head.

"We wanted to know if you wanted to go to eat with us? It is better than sitting in your room all day sulking." Blake invites him while Alister thinks about it for a moment.

"Alright, I'll go." he replies.

"Don't make it seem like we are forcing you to go Alister." Aile says walking past him. 

They walk to one of the restaurants nearby to eat. As a couple of hours go by they walk back out with their hunger dealt with. Feeling a bit better after eating, Alister goes back to his room and shuts the door behind him. He lies down for a nap before quickly fading away into sleep while thinking of the past. Blake and Aile reach the command center as two surprise guests appear. May Lee and Russell salute them upon entering.

"Back so soon you two?" Aile asks with a smile.

"We found something! We thought you should be the first to see!" Russell says with joy.

"Well… show us if that is the case." Blake says while holding his hand up to his face. As May Lee reaches inside of her backpack, Aile and Blake's face turn to shock as they lay eyes on another Live Metal. It is a solid black color, the eyes are a red color but the shape of the Live Metal is completely round.

"Odd…" Model X speaks up.

"What's up?" Aile thinks.

"There was no Live Metal that looked like that, nor was there any record of it being made. I feel no… will coming from it. As if it was a complete… drone." Model X replies to her.

"Those red eyes… it's like looking into nothing." Blake brings up before May Lee and Russell look into the eyes as well. 

"Either way, excellent job you two. Leave the Live Metal here… we will think of something." Aile tells them. The two eager diggers place the black Live Metal on the table behind them before leaving. They go to their apartment rooms to get some well deserved rest. As May Lee waves goodbye for the night she slips into her room.

"Another Live Metal huh? I wonder if this is a blessing… or a curse…" Blake mutters to himself.

"It is odd that I sense nothing from it." Model B tells him.

"We should be careful in how we deal with this Blake." Aile tells him.

"I agree. For now we will keep it inside of this force field, if this was able to hold Khan himself back… it shouldn't break free." Blake says while placing the Live Metal on a plate near the back of the room. Aile presses a few buttons before a glowing bubble of energy forms around the storage room.

"Power flow seems normal on this side. I'll stay here and keep tabs on the Live Metal, go get some rest Aile" Blake tells her while typing rapidly on the keyboard.

"Sounds nice…" she says while yawning. "I'll be back later." she adds before walking out of the command room. Blake pulls a chair out from the table behind him and sets it near the force field.

"I don't like this. Normally a Live Metal has a will of its own. So what is so different about this one?" he thinks to himself as he rolls over to a console to his right and turns on a computer.

"Computer, begin scanning of the Live Metal. Power level maximum output. Engage." he tells the computer. It beeps as a few more lights are added to the room with the Live Metal. A few minutes pass before the scan stops.

"One ID found. Displaying." the computer replies. 

A screen of the back of the Live Metal appears as it zooms in on the middle area. Waters Foundation is engraved on the back. Blake's mouth opens wide as he stands to his feet in shock.

"Jake…?" he thinks to himself before sitting back down. As if on cue, upon sitting down the alarms begin to go off. Blake franticly tries to find out what is going on.

"What is going on Blake!" shouts Aile as she runs back in.

"It's Khan's forces again… they are heading this way…" Blake replies while standing up again with the chair falling over this time.

"What did you say!" Aile panics before checking the computer. 

She steps back before falling flat on the floor. Blake grabs the microphone that is near them before placing it on his ear and pressing the talk button. Throughout the base his heavy breathing could be heard, everyone stops to listen. His voice is also heard in the apartments. Alister wakes to the words of Blake.

"This is a level four emergency! Khan's forces have found our home! We must defend it at all costs! Everyone get to your stations and be ready to be debriefed! We are going into instant action men!" Blake orders. 

Alister leaps out of bed before running out the door. He meets with Sara in the hallway as she is running out as well. She just glances at him while running past him. They get inside of the elevator together and say nothing to each other. Alister didn't want to try to make anything worse than what it was. The base looked like it was a hornets nest as they bump into people on the way to the command room. As they enter the Live Metal in the back begins to glow.

"What are your orders sir?" Sara calmly asks while Alister just stands there. He makes eye contact with the Live Metal and moves towards it out of curiosity.

"We are all going on this mission Sara! So I will directly be in command this time! Get to the hangers! We cannot allow the enemy inside of our tunnels!" Blake shouts before running in front of her. He takes notice of Alister walking towards the Live Metal.

"What are you doing Alister?" Aile asks him. They also take notice that the Live Metal is now glowing.

"Is that another Live Metal?" he asks before his Model ZW begins to glow as well. It appears in front of the other Live Medal and glows as well.

"It was inactive until… you walked in the room…" Aile mentions while looking at Blake. 

The two Live Metals begin to blink at the same time. Faster and faster their rhythm begins to pick up. The red eyes on the Live Metal begin to turn green as Model X and the others begin to pick up a will. There is a flash of light that makes everyone look in the other direction. When they could see again everyone was in shock. Floating in the room behind the bubble of energy was Model G. 

It instantly fades away as they look in amazement. As Model ZW returns to Alister, Blake deactivates the field before walking out of the room. Aile follows with Sara and Alister soon behind them. As they meet with their forces in the hanger Alister stands with the leaders this time in front of the entire army. Blake walks out in front as a screen appears behind him. It shows them two groups of enemies.

"As you can all see here, the enemy numbers are massive. They have split up into two groups, this means we will also be doing the same thing. Knowing Khan and his forces they will be expecting this and will adapt in some way. So be on the lookout for some change. Aile and myself will command one group, while Sara and Alister will command the other. Alister is new to being a leader but has a lot of experience in the battlefield. Listen to him as you would listen to Sara. Ammo up and move out!" Blake commands as they give a shout.

"Hoo-rah!" they shout in unison. Alister sticks with Sara knowing that she knows what she's doing. A group of five runs up to Sara and surrounds her and Alister, but they push him out of the way basically.

"Sara! Let's get rid of them this time!" another girl shouts. The other four men agree with the girl.

"You got it guys! We'll show them!" she laughs with them as Alister figures that those are her friends. Sara turns to Alister suddenly with a hateful look on his face.

"Something wrong?" he asks her.

"Just do as you are told on the field and you and I will get along just fine hero." she mocks him before walking away with her small group closely behind her. 

Alister follows while ignoring her previous statement. A massive amount of ships begin to take off as Sara offers Alister a rifle. He shakes his head as she scoffs at him. He boards the ship with her and her friends as well as many others. They lift off and head towards the surface at top speed. When the reach the top they can see the enemy standing in the distance, thousands of them. Khan's forces easily out number them. They take notice that the enemy units are indeed split into two groups. As they watch Blake and Aile land they close in on their enemy group. Upon landing Sara and her friends burst out of the ship taking the lead.

"Let's go men! Show them no mercy!" she shouts at the top of her lungs. 

The army under her command shouts before charging forward. Alister follows Sara as the army follows him. In the distance he can see Blake flying through the air shooting bolts of lightning at the enemy.

"Blake really is the best person to be in charge." thinks Alister as he smirks. 

They soon make contact with the enemy units. Alister wastes no time before transforming into Black Rockman. He dashes towards a group of four and disappears before appearing behind them. As his arm slasher goes back into place his enemies fall to the ground behind him. He continues to attack the enemy while protecting his own troops. 

Sara and her friends open fire on everything in sight. She fires her pistol as her friends behind her fire their rifles. The other girl hurls a grenade into a group blowing them up in seconds. They move on ahead near Alister while fighting. Suddenly Alister is knocked to the ground by an unknown force. He looks around to see Prometheus standing before him.

"I am here to collect your Live Metal you piece of scum!" he shouts before charging forward. Alister jumps to his feet before countering his attacks. Pandora is attacking Blake and Aile on the other side of the battle. Sara goes to fight Prometheus with Alister.

"No! You have to go back and help your friends!" he tells her.

"You don't order me around hero! I order you around!" she argues with him. He pushes her out of the way of an attack by Prometheus.

"You don't understand! He is here to keep the two strongest fighters busy while Khan's forces overwhelm our forces! I would say the same thing about Pandora with Blake and Aile! You have to go help everyone else while I fight him!" he tells Sara.

"You're smart for a dead man!" Prometheus shouts while tackling them. 

He slashes at Alister who blocks with his arm slashers. Sara transforms into Model T before going back to her friends. She extends the blade at the end of her staff before slashing away at the enemy. On the other side of the field Aile charges towards Pandora, slashing wildly with her Z-Saber. She charges her attack before unleashing it. The attack knocks Pandora back as Blake flies down towards her. He fires bolts of lightning at her, while she dodges. His attacks hit the enemy forces that are below her at the moment.

"Even if I miss, I still hit the enemy!" he mocks her before he crosses his arms in an X formation. He begins to charge his energy before unleashing a massive burst that hits Pandora. She flies down and hits the ground. She stands to her feet while holding her left arm.

"You are too good." she tells them before disappearing.

"Continue with the attack men!" Blake shouts to his men. Alister falls to one knee as Prometheus walks up to him and holds his scythe to his neck.

"Now you will die Rockman." he speaks before pulling back with his scythe. Alister falls to the ground with blood spewing from his neck. Sara takes notice before charging towards Prometheus.

"Alister!" she shouts taking notice of the blood. "Monster!" she quickly yells at Prometheus. While she fights him Model ZW begins to blink again. The cut on Alister's neck begins to heal. He stands to his feet while taking notice of Sara attacking Prometheus. Before too long he falls to one knee again.

"Let go of your feelings Alister. Only then will your light shine. Let go of the past and embrace your future!" Model ZW tells him.

"How… am I suppose to do this?" he asks while in much pain.

"All of the feelings you felt… anger… hate… sadness… despair… let them go. Forgive yourself of your deeds." Model ZW replies.

"Angeline… Jake…" he mutters to himself.

"You have to do this Alister! Let go of your past! Forgive yourself!" Model ZW continues.

"I… can't… I've done too much…" Alister softly speaks as Sara is having a hard time fighting off Prometheus.

"You have to do this Alister!" Model ZW persists.

"I CAN'T!" Alister screams before shaking his head back and forth.

"Then fall into eternal darkness!" Model ZW shouts. 

Those words echo through his thoughts. His eyes open wide before his thoughts become clear suddenly. As he looks at the raging battle going on around him he can see Sara fall to one knee just as he did. Everything appeared slow to him as he moves to help Sara. He extends his left arm slasher and attacks. Upon hitting Prometheus across the chest he slides across the ground before finally stopping. Prometheus falls back to attack the other members of their army while holding his fresh wound. Sara turns around to see Prometheus attacking her five friends. With a mighty swing of his double scythe, he cuts through her friends in an instant. She dashes up to them to help but it was too late. Prometheus lets out an evil laugh as her friends fall to the ground dead. Suddenly Sara loses her form and returns to normal. Prometheus walks up to her and holds his scythe out to her neck like he did to Alister.

"I have you now." he speaks before Alister appears in front of her. Prometheus is suddenly thrown back as Alister attacks with amazing speed.

"Embrace your future Alister!" Model ZW tells him. Alister closes his eyes before a pillar of light surrounds him. The light could be seen all the way on the other side of the battlefield. Blake and Aile take notice as they make their way towards the light.

"What is this… power that I feel?" he says to himself. Suddenly an image of someone appears in front of him, he instantly takes notice of who it is.

"Hey Alister." greets Jake.

"Jake! How is this possible!" he asks with a smile across his face.

"If you are seeing this, then Zerowing defeated me and I am no longer alive. The black Live Metal was created to give Model G another life… with you Alister. Use his power to destroy all evil!" Jake tells him before fading away.

"He knew… he knew all along that he would lose to Zerowing so long ago… I understand old friend. From this moment on I will… use the power that you entrusted to me... I will… Rock on!" shouts Alister before his body begins to glow. 

Familiar cannons appear on his left and right arm as his color begins to change to Model G's colors. His legs remain a silver color as his chest turns green with some red going across. His helmet remains the same form, only green with some darker green across his forehead area. His arms turn green as well with red around his wrist. Two missile pods appear on his back. With one on each side they each have four barrels with missiles loaded. The scarf on Alister's neck turns red as the pillar of lights disappears.

"Aile! That's…" Blake starts to say.

"Model G!" Aile finishes as Alister takes one step forward.

"I promise you Jake… I will win this time. Not as Alister, not even as Black Rockman! I will win as the eternal light that destroys all evil!" Alister shouts before taking aim. "Now come on!" he shouts before opening fire on Prometheus.

He dodges the massive blasts as his forces behind him disappear. Alister stomps his right foot on the ground before he locks on with his missiles. As the eight missiles are fired, Prometheus dodges half of them, the other half makes a direct hit on him.

"Another time!" Prometheus shouts before he disappears. 

Alister turns his attention to the remaining forces that are attacking. He holds the two cannons towards the forces before charging. Suddenly he lets out a massive blast from the two cannons that cut through the middle of the enemy force. He turns to the left and right while firing rapidly with the cannons. Missiles begin to fire as he attacks the last group, Blake and Aile hover in the air in amazement. Alister runs towards the enemy units that Blake and Aile had left.

"All remaining friendly units are to fall back now! I will handle this from now on!" he shouts across the field. 

All units listen to Alister and fall back to the ships. As soon as Alister could not pick up any ally units he leaps off of the cliff he was standing on. He begins to open fire while in the air. The blasts begin to rip apart Khan's forces. Everyone watches from a distance, as the watch a sudden blast that sends a shockwave across the land. The white light in the distance dies down as Alister walks away from it. With his red scarf flipping in the wind he makes his way towards his friends.

"Alister! How… did you?" starts Aile as she couldn't find the words to continue.

"That Live Metal you guys had was… well an extra life for Model G. His essence has always been with me, inside of Model ZW… but not his form. The black Live Metal changed that and gave me a new sword to fight with. Well… a new cannon to be exact." Alister tells them while holding up his left cannon. 

He looks towards Sara who is in tears for the first time. All of her friends were killed in that last battle. He walks up to her before returning to normal. He kneels down in front of her and hugs her. Shocked, she opens her eyes to see who it was that was hugging her. Even more shocked that it was Alister.

"I know how it feels to lose those close to you." he tells her before she hugs him back, crying for the longest time.

End of Chapter 28


	30. Chapter 29: Blood Metal

Rockman ZW: The Dark Ages

Chapter 29: Blood Metal

As a week passes by after the battle with Khan's forces, the city is in a panic due to the enemy getting so close to them. There is a large platform near the middle of the city inside of a park. On that platform stand Blake, Aile, and even Alister. The people chat among each other as the crowd begins to get out of control and panic begins to spread.

"Everyone please calm down!" Blake shouts to the crowd as they only ignore him. 

His words are being drowned out by the crowd shouting to each other. Aile chuckles to herself before she transforms into Model FX, slamming her arm cannons together that creates a loud noise. The crowd finally calms down as she returns to normal.

"Nice crowd control…" Alister comments with a stressed face.

"You should see the riots." she replies with a smile as Alister makes another stressed face.

"What is this about Blake?" an elderly man asks, who is well respected among everyone there. The crowd soon follows with the same question as they all pay attention this time.

"As you all know, Khan's forces came extremely close to infiltrating our home. If it wasn't for Alister here, we may not be here right now. He single handedly defeated most of the enemy army. For those of you who were at the pillar last week, you owe him an apology, as you know who you are." Blake tells the crowd.

"No, they don't owe me anything Blake." Alister speaks up.

"Alister?" Aile asks as he walks forward.

"I owe them an apology. I'm sorry that I couldn't defeat Khan on that one fateful day. I tried my absolute hardest and I still failed. Some of you may not like me… some of you most likely hate me, I understand if you do. I want you to understand this… even if you hate me, I will still continue to fight for you. I can't bring back your loved ones… because if I could… none of us would be suffering right now… I'm making a promise to everyone today… no… I'm giving you my word as Alister, I will defeat Khan." he tells them as the crowd grew silent as Alister walked back into place next to Aile. Tears are falling down her face as she turns away to wipe them from sight. Blake walks forward with a smirk on his face.

"Since Khan is aware of where we are… we have to consider moving the entire city again." Blake says as the crowd starts to get out of control again.

"We can't do that again! If we move the city this time we may end up losing our homes!" one woman complains, as Alister is clueless as to how they could move an entire city.

"Everyone needs to calm down! Last time we moved the city we only had Blake and myself to power the warp generator! This time we have Sara and Alister to help! Nobody is going to be losing their home this time!" Aile assures the crowd. As they quiet down Alister feels like he has been left out of this plan.

"We will make sure that everyone gets the notice a day ahead of time prior to warping, as soon as we find a good place to go to. Everyone here can go about their duties now, thank you for your time." Blake says with a smile as everyone begins to leave. Alister jumps off of the platform and heads towards the apartments before Blake and Aile quickly catch up to him on his walk.

"You seem different Alister, ever since that last battle… I don't know… you seem more sure about yourself." Aile says to him.

"If you have no confidence in yourself, you are twice defeated in life. With confidence, you have won even before you have started. I've realized this Aile, and I can't beat myself up about something that was out of my control." Alister replies to her as she smiles to those words coming out of his mouth.

"It is really good to hear that come out of you Alister, we were getting worried about you to be honest." Blake speaks as they walk up to the apartments.

"I'm sorry to have worried you two… now we have someone else to worry about…" Alister says while walking inside of the elevator.

"You mean Sara right?" questions Blake as him and Aile follow.

"Yes." he replies with a sigh. "How is she doing?" he quickly questions.

"Not a word from her since the battle… those were her child hood friends that survived Khan's wrath so many years ago." Aile gently replies.

"Were you going to go see her?" asks Blake.

"Yes, I know what she is going through right now. I know how your own thoughts that can cloud and poison your mind. I feel is it best that I am the only one to talk with her right now." he tells them as the doors to the elevator open. 

He walks to her room down the hallway as Aile and Blake wave goodbye. Aile thinks of Jake and what she went through to get over his death. She knew that Alister was right about his choice, he is the only one that should be talking to her. Alister knocks on her door as not a sound is heard from inside.

"Who is it?" Sara calls from inside.

"Alister." he replies.

"It's open." she replies back. Alister opens the door to a dark and gloomy room, he can barely see her sitting up on her bed, putting her shirt on over her tank top.

"Hey Sara… how are you doing?" he asks while sitting down on a chair nearby while she chuckles a bit.

"Why are you here? Why are you trying to help me?" she asks him in a shaky voice. He stands to his feet then kneels down in front of her, placing his hands on her shoulders and looks her in the eyes.

"I know what you are going through and I want to help you." he tells her before she pushes him away while standing up. She walks over to the light switch and turns it on. She turns around to see some tears in Alister's eyes as he looks to her.

"Is this some sick joke? Why would you try to help me? After I was so mean to you? I don't deserve your help!" she shouts to him. She goes to slap him but instead, Alister grabs her and hugs her. Sara was shocked but she hugs him back without hesitation. She then lets out a burst of tears as she begins to cry nonstop.

"Whenever you need to talk I am down the hallway Sara. I do not hold grudges unless your destroy cities." he tells her as she clings to him and continues to cry. Half an hour later of crying, Alister's com device starts to beep.

"We're sorry to bother you so soon Alister, but we want you to meet us in the command room as soon as possible. If you can, bring Sara with you, I know she's listening right now." Blake says over the com while Alister looks to Sara before she nods to him.

"Alright, we'll be there soon." he replies while letting go of Sara. He stands to his feet as Sara stands to her feet.

"Thank you Alister…" she says to him before opening the door. The two walk out and head to the command room. Blake and Aile are going over some blue prints at the table while the two walk in. They turn around when they hear the doors open.

"It is good to see you up and around Sara." Aile says with a smile.

"Sit down you two, we need to go over plans of the move." Blake tells them. As the four sit down Blake and Aile look at each other before looking at Alister and Sara.

"This is not the first time we have had to move this city, it will actually be the fourth time." says Aile.

"First off… tell me how the heck you do this." Alister says with a slight chuckle.

"Well… we use a warp generator. It requires a massive amount of energy though. Which means… we will need you and your Live Metals." Blake tells them.

"So you're going to hook our Live Metals up to some strange device or something?" Alister asks with one eyebrow raised.

"Not exactly… we're expecting an attack from Khan really soon. Every time he finds our home, he will not stop sending waves after waves of attacks. So you and Sara will be our defense line." Aile tells them.

"You two will wait here with us and help power up the generator. If and when Khan's forces show up you two will be teleported directly to the front lines, it will only be you two out there. As soon as the city has been warped you two will be brought back to safety, that is our plan." Blake explains.

"So the two of us are going to be taking on a massive army with most likely Prometheus and Pandora mixed in it?" asks Sara.

"Well… yes." Aile replies.

"Just making sure." Sara returns with a sigh, followed by Alister chuckling to himself a bit while Aile laughs.

"We will be doing this tomorrow as we have to get the city ready. The people have to be inside of their homes during the warp. Aile and myself will spread the word, you two get some rest." Blake says before standing up. 

Alister walks out of the room as Sara follows behind. Aile sits back in her chair and closes her eyes thinking of the past. As the day goes by Alister finds it easier to sleep than the days before. Even Sara was sleeping somewhat peacefully as she turns to her left side. The next day arrives as Alister is awoken by Blake on his com device.

"Alister, it is time to charge up the warp generator. Be here in thirty minutes." he speaks before the transmission cuts off. 

He sits up in his bed and rubs his eyes a few times before walking to his bathroom. A few minutes later he steps out of the shower to dry off. As he comes out of the bathroom while putting his shirt on he reaches to put on his jacket. He turns his lights off and walks out of the room. As he is talking with Blake and Aile about things in the past Sara walks through the door. Looking better than she did the previous day she sits down next to Aile. This time the command room is full of people operating the systems.

"Since we are all here, we should tell you that we spotted a single enemy last night around midnight. It has been in the same location ever since then." Aile tells them.

"If it starts to attack we are going to go ahead and send you two in. The readings are off the scale with power. Whatever or whoever it is… it is pretty much equal to Khan." Blake says as a part of the command room opens. Near the back where the Black Live Metal was being held, is a massive room with sensors everywhere, it looks like it was inside of a water tower. There is four large light bulb looking containers placed in a box formation.

"Welcome to the warp generator room. This is where we will start to power up. The charging will make you feel a bit drained at first… but that will wear off seeing as how there is four of us this time." Aile says as the door closes behind them.

"Alright May lee, start the generator systems as soon as we transform." Blake says across the com while the other three step inside of their own charger.

"Roger." she replies while typing. As a noise is heard inside of the room where the four are Russell is watching the power levels.

"You can start at any time." he tells them.

"Rock on!" the four shout. 

Aile chooses Model HX for the charge. Her and Blake begin to discharge electricity as the bolts hit the glass and disappear. Alister and Sara feel light headed as they fall to one knee. Sooner or later they stand up again. As half an hour goes by the single enemy begins to move forward towards them.

"The single enemy has started moving forward. We will now directly transport Alister and Sara to the enemy current location." May lee speaks over the com.

"Be careful you two!" Blake shouts while stressing. As Alister and Sara disappear from the charging room Blake and Aile begin to stress even more. They now have to work twice as hard.

"Blake! The warp generator is all green at three quarters! We will be ready to warp in fifteen minutes!" Russell reports.

"That was fast… those two really helped." Aile says while sweat pours off of her face.

"Yeah no kidding." Blake replies with sweat coming off of him as well. Alister and Sara reach the enemy location with nothing in sight.

"Are they sure this was the spot?" Sara questions.

"This is the spot… I can feel something watching us." Alister replies. Suddenly they can hear an evil laugh near them. They turn around to see someone standing there. A normal person hunched over, he has mid length brown hair that covers his face. He turns his head to the side before looking at them.

"Rock… on…" he says in a dark and deep voice.

"Vent?!" Alister calls out as Vent stands before him as Model O.

"Did you say Vent?" asks Sara before she is shot from a charged blast. She rolls along the ground as she losses her form.

"Sara is down and she needs to be brought back now!" Alister says while dodging a slash from Vent. As Sara vanishes from sight Alister turns his attention to Vent who is staring his down.

"What's wrong…? Can't fight back…?" asks Vent as he charges forward.

"What is wrong with you Vent?!" Alister shouts.

"Vent?!" Aile shouts in shock as they continue to charge the generator as they can hear Alister fighting over his com device.

"He forgot to turn it off?" asks May lee as Sara is looked after. Alister jumps over Vent's attack and spin kicks. He lands a direct hit on the left side of his head. Vent stagger backwards before the blue gem on his forehead begins to glow.

"That blue gem is his power source, destroy that and you will win this fight." Model ZW tells him as Alister rolls out of the way of a blast.

"You will die!" yells Vent before sending a shockwave from his Z-Saber. Alister barely manages to move to the side as the shockwave passes by his face.

"Snap out of it Vent!" Alister shouts before running towards Vent. 

As his right arm slasher clashes with Vent's Z-Saber they begin a rapid fight. Vent suddenly over powers him with a charged attack. Alister flies through the air before hitting the ground. He doesn't move as Vent walks towards him laughing. As he attacks with a charged slash Alister disappears. Vent turns around to barely see Alister disappear in front of him. He appears behind him as his left arm slasher returns. Vent falls to his knees as the cuts appear on his chest.

"What speed you strike with…" Vent speaks before an aura surrounds him. The aura turns black before disappearing suddenly.

"Just five more minutes Alister! You need to hold him for that long!" Russell tells Alister.

"Got it! He's not getting anywhere near the city!" Alister replies. 

Vent suddenly disappears as well. A shocked Alister looks around for his foe but finds nothing. He is attacked from behind as Vent appears. Alister flies forward and slides across the ground. He slams his fist on the ground before flipping upright.

"If you want a fight I will be more than happy to give you one! Rock on!" Alister shouts as he instantly transforms into Model ZG.

"You think a new form will help you?" mocks Vent as Alister slams his right foot down as he locks on.

"Actually I do!" argues Alister before he fires his cannons. 

Vent dodges them with ease as he shoots the missiles out of the air. Alister jumps into the air and takes aim. Vent goes to attack as Alister fires at point blank range. Vent guards as the blast rips into his armor. He hits the ground as Alister rips off his right cannon. He throws it at Vent before firing his left cannon. It hits the thrown cannon and blows it up directly over Vent. Alister returns to Model ZW as the sparks fly from Model O. Suddenly Vent stands to his feet as if an unknown force had lifted him up.

"I was instructed by Master Khan not to kill you Alister… but it seems I have no choice." Vent says while walking forward.

"He knows I'm alive?" thinks Alister as he blocks a charge shot from Vent. 

As he blocks, Vent appears next to him and punches him in the face. Alister staggers backwards Vent fires at him from the air. Alister blocks the attack before Vent comes crashing down on him with a charged slash. Alister suddenly loses his form and is out cold before Vent.

"Alister! We're ready to bring you back!" May lee says over the com device.

"I don't think so." Vent speaks before taking the com device off of Alister. He throws it across the field before it disappears. Back at HQ all they recover is the com device with the tracker attached to it.

"Where is Alister?!" Aile panics while coming out of the room.

"All we got from the transport was… his com device." Russell tells them.

"Let's go Alister. Khan has been dying to see you again." Vent laughs before disappearing.

"What are we going to do? We have to warp now!" May lee tells them.

"Go ahead with the warp! I will get Alister back no matter what it takes!" Blake replies.

"No Blake! You can't go!" Aile shouts while running up to him.

"I will be fine Aile. Besides… I know where Alister is going to be… If I have to… I'll kill Vent." Blake tells her before giving her one last kiss.

"I won't let you do this!" she says before he pushes her out of the way.

"As soon as I am transported warp the city! Do it now!!" he commands May lee. 

As he disappears Aile stands to her feet worried that he is not going to come back. When Blake appears on the surface he instantly looks around. He holds two fingers up to his helmet on the right side. Black goggles cover his eyes as he looks around. He finds a trail of energy leading away from the fight scene.

"Just as I thought. Alister was really hurt in that fight… Model ZW was using a lot of energy to heal him. That gives me the lead I need… well… here goes nothing." he says to himself before he jumps in the air. He hovers above the ground before following the trail of energy.

"I'm not sure if he will need my help or not, but either way I'm coming to help." thinks Blake as the city below is warped to safety.

End of Chapter 29


	31. Chapter 30: Encounter With Khan

Rockman ZW: The Dark Ages

Chapter 30: Encounter With Khan

Blake hovers across the ground with great speed, kicking up the sand behind him. The entire time he can think only about how he is going to help Alister in this situation. Suddenly an idea comes to mind as he changes his course from Khan's city. He heads west instead, towards his old home city. As hours go by he stops in front of a destroyed Gear City. He looks upon the wasted city with memories of what this place use to be. Now it is a dead city full of nothing but destruction. He walks with a fast pace towards the old trading center where he saved the old man from before. He walks inside and shuts the remains of the door behind him.

"Warp drive engage. Code is Nexus." speaks Blake as he instantly disappears.

Miles underground he appears in what looks like an abandoned base. The walls look old and rusty while the ground he stands on is dirty and full of bugs.

"Well… this is the first time you have come to my base Blake." a deep voice calls from behind as the lights turn on. Mighty Leo walks up to Blake with a grin on his face.

"I need your help Mighty Leo. I need you and your two partners." returns Blake.

"What is it my friend?" asks Mighty Leo while raising his left metallic eyebrow and tilting his head.

"The enemy has Alister now. We have to get him out of there at any cost." Blake replies while returning to normal. Mighty Leo crosses his arms while walking away before Blake follows him close behind.

"I have had time to think about my past deeds over the years, Alister's final words helped me more than words can express, of course we will help you with Alister, it is the least I can do." Mighty Leo says to him while putting his left hand on Blake's left shoulder.

"Thank you, Alister holds too much power for Khan to use for himself…" Blake replies while they stop in front of a large metal door.

As it opens Blake can make out two figures sitting in chairs. As the glare of the light in the room dies down he can make out a reploid and a girl that looks around Alister's age.

"Grey and Ashe, this is Blake, leader of the Tera Resistance. He has come here to ask for our help in a mission, and I have accepted this mission." Mighty Leo tells them. Ashe leaps out of her chair and lands in front of Blake.

"Nice to meet you Blake, my name is Ashe." she tells him while shaking his hand. Blake nods while the reploid stands to his feet and walks over.

"I'm Grey, and I will help in any way I can." he says while smiling.

"Thank you, it is good to finally meet the two holders of Model A. Let's leave right away you three. If Alister dies and Model ZW falls into Khan's hands… he'll be even more powerful than before, we have to move right away." Blake tells them.

"Roger." the three reply. Soon after the four leave the base in hopes to return Alister to them.

Alister sudden wakes to Vent knocking on his door. Alister looks around to take notice that he is inside of a room with no window, no bed, and no bathroom to use. He is wearing a straight jacket at the moment as well. He looks towards the door as it opens. Vent walks in while hanging his head.

"Khan wishes to see you now. Heh… don't keep him waiting. Ha-ha…" Vent speaks while Alister walks out of the room.

As he follows Vent he takes notice to other people trapped behind doors screaming. Some of them are sticking their arms out of the doors viewing slot. A lot of them moaning and groaning. As Alister walks by one of the doors he looks inside to see a woman in rags trying to claw through the walls. Even though her fingers are bloody from scratching she still continues. Vent pulls him ahead after looking back to see where he was.

"Don't fall behind… you may regret it." Vent tells him while opening a very large door.

Alister looks into the distance of this blood red colored room to see Khan atop a large altar. He is wearing his cloak like a cape now. He stands to his feet as Alister walks into the room. Vent walks up next to the altar and turns around. Khan walks down the golden steps as stands in front of Alister with a grin on his face.

"Well well… if it isn't Alister… you sure have surprised me, and to think… you were the very first that has ever survived an encounter with me." Khan tells him while walking around him. Still wearing the same clothes as the very first day they met.

"You say that as if it was a good thing." Alister returns as Khan just laughs at his reply.

"Indeed my old foe. I guess I should show you my world order?" asks Khan.

Alister does not reply as Vent walks over to a large curtain and pulls on a rope nearby. The curtains pull back as Khan walks Alister to look out. He looks over the city as he sees nothing but destruction. Fires are breaking out all across the city. People stagger about the streets in hope to find food and shelter.

"Monster…" Alister mutters while looking around.

"Don't be like that. It was because of you that this was all possible for me." Khan tells him before Alister snaps his head towards Khan at that moment.

"Listen and listen well you devil! All of this was caused by you and you alone you freak! You are not going to drag me down with you!" Alister shouts to him. Khan turns around and walks away as the curtains close as Alister turns around to follow.

"Alister… I'm going to offer you one more chance to join me. You don't have to answer right away. You can think about it if you wish to, but all that lies in wait for you is death if you deny me again. Vent, help Alister with his jacket." Khan says while pointing towards him while sitting down again on his throne.

"No need for that." Alister speaks while the straight jacket falls off of him. Khan has a curious look on his face before smirking again.

"I almost forgot… you were once a thief. A really good one at that, it would be a shame for your talents to go to waste by trying to fight me." Khan says before Alister starts to laugh to himself.

"Do not mock Master Khan!" Vent snarls at him.

"Trying to fight you? I could kill you right now Khan! You are weak!" Alister tells him with a smirk across his face.

"Oh really? How do you plan on doing that without your Model ZW?" Khan asks him while feeling a bit aggravated. Alister snaps his right arm out as Model ZW appears in his hand.

"You mean this?" mocks Alister as Khan stands to his feet in shock.

"I see you have learned a new trick… but that alone will not save you. It appears that you are not going to side with me." speaks Khan while walking down the steps again.

"Did your puppet over there tell you that? Or did you figure that out on your own? My my, you sure have gotten smarter over these years." Alister continues to mock. Vent moves to kill Alister but Khan stands in his way.

"No! He is mine!" Khan shouts to Vent.

"Come on Khan! Just you and me! One on one, just like before! The only difference is I will be the victor this time!" Alister tells him while holding Model ZW before him. "Rock on!" Alister quickly adds. Khan throws his cape to the side and holds his own Live Metal in front of him.

"You are the same as ever fool! Rock on!" Khan shouts as they transform.

"I know you're going to help me with this Angeline… Jake…" Alister thinks to himself.

Khan forms his scythe as Alister holds his right arm out. The two charge each other in hopes to kill the other in one move. They clash with each other before jumping back. Khan slashes his scythe through the air and fires a shockwave to fire out towards Alister. He deflects it away as it cuts down the curtains. It crashes through the window as the two stare at each other.

Alister suddenly disappears as Khan eagerly looks around for him. Alister appears in front of him, Khan expects him to disappear again and turns around. Alister does not disappear this time as Khan can suddenly feels a sharp pain go through his left arm as he can see Alister's left arm slasher sticking through his shoulder blade.

"Impressive…" Khan says while back kicking Alister in the stomach. As he slides across the floor Khan's shoulder heals almost instantly.

"I have learned a lot, I can assure you of that! It is because of you that I have learned this much!" Alister shouts before lunging forward.

He attacks Khan with rapid slashes before Khan counters with a powerful forward slash. Alister moves enough to allow the blade to slide across his armor. Khan is shocked as Alister stabs him in the stomach, he then follows up with many rapid slashes that throws Khan back. Very quickly, Alister transforms into Model ZG and appears in front of Khan as he is recovering from the previous attack.

"Now DIE!!" Alister yells while firing his cannons point blank range.

Khan blocks the attack as the area behind him is totally destroyed. Even the city below could see the blast shoot out from him tower. Khan falls over and returns to normal as Alister walks up to him while raising his arms to strike. Just then an energy field surrounds him as Khan stands to his feet very slowly.

"It is not possible… how can you posses that much power... over me?" asks Khan while holding his right arm. Alister looks at his body to see that he almost had him.

"Master… go rest now. I will deal with Alister." Vent tells him as Khan staggers out of the room.

"No! I almost had him!" shouts Alister as he punches the energy field. Vent walks closer to him before looking him in the eyes.

"Yes… you almost had him. I was hoping you would kill him that time, but he activated this energy field… and that saved his pitiful life." Vent speaks to him.

"And what do you want?" Alister asks him.

"It is good to see you again Alister." Vent tells him while Alister raises his right eyebrow to this.

"It is?" Alister asks.

"Yes. These past ten years have not been what I would call a bright future… I'm not proud of what I turned out to be." Vent replies before starting to cough. Alister watches as Vent wipes blood on his clothes.

"You're… not being controlled by Khan?" Alister asks him.

"No… I'm not. He may think so… but I'm just playing along. I'm not proud of my actions… Alister I'm dying… Model O is slowly killing me." Vent reveals to him.

"Well help me out of here! We can escape together and find help for you!" Alister tells him while Vent shakes his head.

"You don't understand… so long as I hold Model O and continue to use its power… it's going to continue to chip away at my life. I was actually hoping you would show up before I died." Vent says to him.

"Why is that?" Alister returns.

"If Khan was able to take Model O's power for himself… I'm afraid of the result. If you escape from here… I want you to kill me." Vent tells him.

"What?!" shouts Alister with a shocked look.

"It is the only way Model O will separate from me. Please do this for me… you have to kill me Alister. The only reason Khan is keeping me alive is the fact that he is waiting for me to die, so he can take Model O... you must kill me!" Vent begs him.

"I don't… I can't…" Alister says while turning his head. As Vent walks back to his place next to Khan's altar, Khan himself walks into the room once again. He walks over to Alister and glares at him.

"I want to know! Where did you get that kind of power?!" Khan shouts at him.

"I'm sorry... did I upset you with something? Maybe because I kicked your sorry butt all over this terribly fashioned throne room?" Alister asks with a smile.

"Vent! Activate the gravity hold! We're going to watch Alister die right here and now!" Khan shouts as Vent walks over to a control panel nearby and presses a few buttons before Alister suddenly feels heavy.

"What… is this?" Alister asks while struggling to stand.

"I'm able to control gravity now. Many have died instantly where you struggle to stand. I have watched them be crushed by the gravity that is slowly knocking you down. I'm going to watch you suffer… or you could tell me your secret. Tell me how you are so much more powerful than me!" Khan says before Alister looks up at him.

"I have something you will never have! A special bond with Zerowing that nobody or nothing will ever take away!" Alister tells him before Khan scoffs at him as he walks back up the steps.

"Let the gravity slowly kill him." Khan says as Vent watches.

"Are you sure this is the place Blake?" Mighty Leo questions as he looks around the destroyed city.

"I am very sure. Alister was brought here alright... I can see Model ZW's energy leading directly towards Khan's tower." Blake replies as he deactivates his scanner.

"Then let us go pick up an old friend!" Mighty Leo says as the other three nod in agreement.

End of Chapter 30

**Note: I really hope that everyone is enjoying this story so far, as I have had a blast writing it. There are four chapters left in the Dark Ages saga, as the Genesis saga is about to begin. So please continue to support my work and read and review if you find something wrong, or if you wish to say something nice about the story. God Bless.**


	32. Chapter 31: Bloodshed

Rockman ZW: The Dark Ages

Chapter 31: Bloodshed

Grey and Ashe find themselves hiding down shadowed paths as guards walk past them. They were sent ahead as scouts by Blake to search the area. As they give the signal to move out the guards disappear. Blake and Mighty Leo move up to their location as another squad approaches them.

"This might get ugly…" Mighty Leo mutters to himself while moving his claws to strike.

"Grey and myself will clear the way, don't worry you two. We're going now!" Ashe tells them before the two run out into the streets.

The two sneak up behind the squad of guards that had just passed them. The squad is wearing red vests with assault rifles on their backs. They have red pants with black tactical helmets. Grey and Ashe take aim with their pistols before firing. They slip into darkness before the guards turn around. As they can see nothing they begin to wonder among each other who shot the two. The two guards begin to fight each other before they start to open fire on each other. As there is only one left standing, Grey sneaks up behind him and runs him through with his own combat knife. The man falls to the ground after meeting with a bloody death as the two meet with Blake and Mighty Leo again.

"These two are the best I have in stealth, not another soul in the world can match them." Mighty Leo says as they move up.

"I beg to differ…" Blake says silently as they creep up on the tower that possibly contains Alister.

"We'll be back in a moment." Grey speaks before the two leap to the second floor of the tower.

Suddenly guards fall down to the ground below as Ashe and Grey give them the signal to head up. Mighty Leo extends his wings while grabbing Blake. The two of them fly up while looking around for any trouble. While landing many of the guards take notice and open fire. Blake begins to dodge the fire before Mighty Leo sends a strong gust of wind towards the guards that knocks them out upon contact. The two meet with Grey and Ashe upon hearing the alarm go off.

"They know that we are here now! There is no point in hiding now!" Mighty Leo tells them.

"Roger that boss! Rock on!" Ashe shouts before transforming into Model A.

"Roger! Rock on!" Grey adds before transforming into Model A as well.

"Rock on!" Blake shouts as he transforms. "Full armor!" he quickly adds before a red chest plate forms over his chest.

Red arm guards appear over his arms as red and yellow leg guards appear. As he finishes he sends a massive wave of electricity throughout the tower. Everyone on the first four floors has been knocked out. Impressed by this show of power, Mighty Leo orders Grey and Ashe to continue with them. While reaching the fifth floor, guards on the other side of the corridor open fire on sight. Blake attacks first as he dashes forward attacking three at the same time.

He jumps over them while shooting electricity wildly. While stunned Blake uses this time to knock them all out by kicking them on the back of their necks. Grey and Ashe follow up by locking on to three each. They open fire as their shots track their enemy. As the three disappear Mighty Leo finishes with another massive gust of wind that rips them apart. They continue along towards the next floor as a shadow figure stands in their way. Upon looking closer they realize that they are fighting with Prometheus.

"You're not getting any closer scum! I will rip you apart!" he shouts while rushing towards them.

At the top of the tower the gravity is slowly pushing Alister down to the ground crushing him by the minute. Khan laughs at him while watching him suffer. Alister glances over at Vent then towards Khan.

"How does it feel Alister? How does it feel to have your body crushed so slowly?" taunts the ruthless Khan.

"Ha… I've been through worse…!" Alister struggles to reply as Khan smirks.

"All of this can be avoided if you will submit to me! Just tell me how you have become so strong and I will let you live!" Khan tells him while crouching in front of him. Alister laughs a bit before coughing.

"Is it… really that hard? All you require… is a strong bond with… your Live Metal…" Alister replies while coughing up blood. Khan scoffs at him before standing again.

"A strong bond? I'm sorry my friend but I don't buy that… just die and leave my sight already, I have grown tired of you." Khan tells him before he presses a button on his console next to his seat. The gravity levels increase as Alister begins to feel himself slipping away.

"I can't die here! There has to be some way!" Alister thinks to himself while looking around.

He begins to push upwards against the gravity while attempting to brake the barrier. Vent watches with interest as Alister is able to rise for a moment and wildly attacks the shield. Khan is further impressed as he watches.

"It is such a shame that you have to die like this Alister." he continues to pressure.

"No matter… how the darkness comes against the light… the light cannot be overtaken!" Alister replies with a smirk on his face. He falls to one knee but still attacks the shield with all of his might. Khan smirks as the doors behind him burst open before Blake rushes through. He instantly takes notice of Alister being crushed and moves to shut the shield off.

"What happened to Prometheus?!" Khan shouts before Prometheus flies through the doors beyond damaged. While sparks fly from his body Pandora appears to take him away. Suddenly a mighty roar is heard beyond the door as Mighty Leo stomps through.

"Khan!" he roars while extending his wings.

"You! I thought you were killed in the explosion ten years ago! So now you work with these idiots?" he asks while smiling.

Mighty Leo instantly rushes forward and tackles Khan in response. As the two roll along the floor Vent watches and waits for his order to attack. Blake destroys the console next to Khan's seat which disables the gravity field as well as the shield. Khan takes notice before throwing Mighty Leo off of him.

"Vent! Kill Alister!" he shouts while transforming.

He begins to attack all four of them at the same time. Alister looks towards Vent who walks towards him while transforming. He stands to his feet before Vent rushes him. They crash through the wall and begin a free fall towards the ground. While falling the two try to fight the other off. Before smashing into the ground they stop fighting and kick at the wall to stop their fall. The two rolls along the ground before standing to their feet.

"This is it Alister, show me what you've got!" Vent shouts to him while extending his Z-Saver.

All Alister does is watch him as he readies his right arm slasher. Vent charges forward again while coming down with his attack. Alister rises up towards him as the two clash. This causes a massive shockwave to be sent out all around them. Alister jumps into the air before leaping along the rooftops. Vent follows on the opposite side. Alister leaps towards him while spinning rapidly in the air. He catches Vent off guard who is thrown back. He flips over and slashes his Z-Saver towards Alister. This sends a shockwave towards him at great speed. Recalling his training with Aile, Alister instantly counters with his own shockwave that cancels Vent's out. The two charge towards the other at the same time after this.

Mighty Leo rolls over on the floor while Khan slashes away at his armor. Blake knocks Khan over with a massive blast that briefly stuns him. Grey and Ashe instantly take aim and lock on. Khan stands to his feet while they prepare their attack. Suddenly there is a flash of light before the two send a massive wave of energy towards Khan. He blocks as they watch in awe at the power they had just unleashed. Khan emerges from the light only to slash towards Grey and Ashe. The two are caught off guard as Khan continues to attack. Blake manages to strike Khan in the back with his wrist knife. Khan is briefly hurt as Grey and Ashe recover. Mighty Leo attacks Khan next with his claws. He slashes towards Khan who dodges him with ease. Khan finally counters with a powerful upward slash that slices Mighty Leo directly upwards. He staggers backwards as sparks fly from his chest. Blake moves to aid Mighty Leo before Khan throws his scythe. Blake looks in time to see the scythe but is hit anyways. He flies back with a massive slash across his chest plate. His armor disappears leaving only his original armor.

"Don't you fools get it? You cannot hope to defeat me! There has been only one… and as soon as Vent is done with him… I will use the power of Model ZW! Nothing will stop me!" Khan laughs before Blake hits him with a shockwave.

"You don't get it yourself Khan! As long as I am alive you will never do such a thing!" Blake shouts before throwing his arms to his side.

He starts to shout in pain as a massive energy spike forms around his body. The other three heroes take cover as they realize this could even hurt them. Blake uses his arms as a gun and fires a ball of electricity that engulfs Khan. They can actually hear him scream out in pain as he falls to the floor motionless. Blake falls to his knees as Grey and Ashe move to aid Blake. He losses his form due to being exhausted. Khan losses his form as well, and still remains motionless as smoke rises from his body. Mighty Leo moves towards him to check for a pulse and finds none.

"He is dead." Mighty Leo tells them as they realize that they had finally won this time. They leave the tower in hopes to find Alister still alive. In fact they find him still fighting with Vent. They move towards the fight as the tower suddenly bursts in flames.

"Alister! Khan is dead! We can go home now!" Blake calls to him.

"Did you hear that Vent? You can stop fighting now!" Alister tells him as Vent continues to charge.

"No! I will not stop until one of us is dead!" Vent replies while slashing towards him.

"But Khan is dead!" Alister continues to argue as he blocks one of his attacks.

"You don't understand anything! I have killed Khan before! He came back stronger than before!" Vent tells him while pushing Alister back. He charges forward as Alister moves to dodge. Vent turns around and fires a charged shot from his gun. Alister deflects the shot back at him which throws him back.

"Vent!!" Alister shouts as he rushes towards Vent.

With a great display of speed Alister slashes through Vent before he even hit the ground. Part of Vent's left side of his stomach was cut through clean. Vent falls to the ground while returning to normal. Alister runs up to him and holds him in his arms. As he coughs up blood Alister has memories of Angeline dying in his arms, now he has to go through that again with Vent.

"Bravo… listen Alister… Khan will be back again. You are stronger than he is however… kill him… I know give you freely the power of… Model O. Alister… kill me." Vent begs him before Alister stands him up and jabs him in the middle of his stomach with his right arm slasher. He then pulls upwards as Vent falls over.

"You have freed me… Alister. Tell Aile I died happy…" Vent says before hitting the ground. As soon as he does Model O appears above him. It suddenly bonds with Alister who feels pain all of a sudden. The pain passes as quickly as it comes. Alister returns to normal as the others run up to him. They look at Vent who looks peaceful finally. Blake staggers towards Alister and puts his left hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry you had to do it…" he comforts him.

"Don't be sorry, Vent asked me to do this for him. It was the least I could do as his friend..." Alister tells them as they let time pass by. Mighty Leo flies Vent's body up to the flames where Khan still lays dead. As they leave the now on fire city Alister looks back on final time.

"Goodbye… old friend." he whispers to himself before joining the others. Back at the tower an evil laugh could be heard echoing throughout the tower's top.

End of Chapter 31


	33. Chapter 32: Revelation

Rockman ZW: The Dark Ages

Chapter 32: Revelation

Nearly one month after Khan was killed the land seemed to be in peace finally. The Tera Resistance decided to make plans to warp the city one final time to the surface of Tera. Mighty Leo and his team were recognized for their acts of bravery in the face of danger and was offered a place in their home. Although grateful, Mighty Leo turned the offer down. He and his team were just fine acting as a first line of defense. Sara was back on her feet within the week after Khan died. She became more joyful in her works and became fast friends with Alister. The two trained with each other day after day as they both started to become stronger. Through all of this Alister was uneasy, as the words of Vent echo through his thoughts. That Khan would return and once again destroy the world. Although in his previous fight with Khan he instantly overpowered him, he knew that the next time they met… it would be fatal. The city was in joy once again as the streets were full of kids playing with glee. Alister found himself once again mixing with the people and helping them with their lives. He was happy again, knowing that he could help. A week after Alister started to help, Sara jumped in as well. One day the two ran across an elderly woman wearing pearls across her neck. She had long white hair and was wearing thick glasses.

"Excuse me… miss? Is there anything you would like for us to do?" Sara asks her as the elderly woman turns around. The woman is wearing a dark blue dress with a white vest. She squints her eyes to see who is addressing her.

"Oh… it's you Sara. I didn't realize it was you." she softly speaks as both the elderly woman and Alister turn to Sara.

"Do I… know you?" Sara questions.

"Oh yes… I use to watch you and your brother when you were little." she replies.

"Brother? He's not my brother. This is Alister, he is a part of the Tera Resistance with me." Sara replies with a laugh at the end. The woman walks up to Alister and looks even closer as he takes a step back.

"No no… I am sure of it. This is your brother, but his name is not Alister… it's Isaac." she tells them.

"I think you may have me confused with someone else miss. I use to have a sister, only she was killed many years ago in a Maverick raid. Besides… Sara is about ten years older than me. Time would have to… freeze…" Alister stops before realizing the time he woke up at the volcano. The elderly woman grabs their arms and pulls them towards her house.

"Come with me, I will show you something that may change your mind." she speaks while they are dragged along.

As they enter her small house Alister takes notice to an old object that he for some reason can remember. It is a woman holding a small infant with two kids at her feet smiling up at her. He then looks to the right of it and spots a picture of the elderly woman, but she looks a lot younger with darker hair. She has two kids at her side. To the right of her was another woman with long blonde hair that was shoulder length. She is wearing a pink shirt and vest with a darker pink skirt. He looks closer to see that it was him, and what looked like Sara next to him.

"What is this?" he asks her.

"That is a picture I took a week before that Maverick raid took place. That is your mother standing next to me with you and Sara on the other side. Your father couldn't make it for that picture because he was off on some mission with the Guardian's. It looks like the apple didn't fall far from the tree." the woman tells them while Sara and Alister just look at the picture with shock.

"What was her name?" Sara asks her with tears rushing to her eyes.

"Ciel…" she replies.

"What?! The same Ciel that created the Live Metals?!" asks a shocked Alister.

"Created… what?" the woman asks in reply before Alister takes Model ZW out of his jacket pocket and holds it in from of her.

"Did she ever show you anything like this?" Alister asks her.

"Oh my… I haven't seen that odd thing in so long… your mom was always hard at work developing some kind of new weapon for the seeds of the future. Where did you find that old thing?" she asks him.

"I'm sorry… you know our names… but what is yours miss?" he asks her.

"My name is not important." she replies to him.

Giving a stressed look he lets the subject go. Sara continues to look at the picture and Ciel who is standing there with such a happy face. As the tears roll down her cheeks she turns around and walks out of the door.

"Sara!" Alister calls after her. "Thank you for your kindness miss!" he adds before chasing after Sara. The elderly woman walks to the open door before smiling.

"Your children have grown up Ciel. At first I thought you were crazy when you told me about using a Cyber Elf for children. Looking at them now… They have become more than what you could have ever hoped for. It gives me joy to see your two wonderful kids again. It makes me wish Kraft was still alive…" she speaks before closing her door. Sara makes it all the way back to her apartment room before Alister runs in behind her. She throws herself onto her bed before Alister sits down next to her.

"Are you alright?" he asks her.

"I always thought I was an orphan… that my mom died when I was just a year old, that is what I was always told. I don't know why I am crying… but I just can't help it…" she tells him.

"My real name is Isaac… I had no name when Sonic Tiger took me under his care. He gave me the name Alister while training me one day. The meaning of Alister, is to defend all mankind... kind of ironic actually..." Alister tells her.

"I did read about Ciel in history logs… but I had no clue that she was my… our mother." Sara says while sitting up.

"Let's go to Blake and Aile, maybe those two have something they could tell us about this." Alister mentions before Sara nods in agreement. The two leave her room and head next door to the Resistance base. Upon entering May lee and Russell are working with Blake and Aile. They turn to see them walk in as the doors close behind them.

"Hey guys… we don't really have time for anything right now. We're working around the clock to not only find a great location for the city, but also the warp generator broke on us." Aile says as they are all moving around in a hurry.

"We want to know why you didn't tell us about Ciel being our mother." Sara bluntly tells them as Alister looks around trying to avoid more stress. Blake and Aile stop at that moment before they order May lee and Russell out of the room.

"Where did you hear about this?" asks Blake.

"An old lady told us just an hour ago. So I take it you do know something?" Alister questions.

They sit down next to each other before Aile puts a disc into the table's computer. Suddenly an image shows up with Ciel standing in front of the camera. She steps back to reveal that she is inside of her lab. Behind her is a single Cyber Elf inside of a tube.

"If you are viewing this disc… then my children have come to ask about me. Hello Isaac… Sara…" Ciel says with such tenderness and love in her voice.

"This was a disc that we found in Praire's room after the Guardian HQ went down. We have kept it ever since." Blake mentions before they continue.

"As you may or may not know, it has been years since Zero sacrificed himself to save the world. This, is his Cyber Elf. This was the best way I could repay Zero for all he has done for me… to carry his children in the most natural way." Ciel says before stepping out of the way.

"This must be before she created the Live Metals…" Alister says out loud.

"You may be wondering how you two were brought into the world seeing as how this is a Cyber Elf. By using the technology I invented, I was able to take bits and pieces from the Cyber Elf of Zero without harming him. I was then able to turn those fragments into you two. I used human DNA and mixed the two with each other. Don't get me wrong… you two are as human as I am. You may be wondering about now how you are able to learn advanced skills so quickly... this is your answer. As you two were growing inside of me, I started my work on the Live Metals. Sara… I have created Model T just for you. The T stands for Tundra, as that was the name of the student under the care of Leviathan. Model T posses amazing power and can freeze anything in one attack. Isaac… I have created Model ZW just for you. Model ZW stands for Zerowing, the reploid whom Copy X destroyed without knowing all of the facts. Model ZW posses amazing combat abilities, and can instantly warp from one place to another. You two are the light of this world… use that light to destroy all evil." Ciel tells them.

"I am... the son of Zero?" Alister asks.

"I'm the daughter of Zero?" Sara asks with him as the screen goes black for a moment. It then shows Ciel in the hospital with Alister and Sara in her arms.

"You two are the start of the new generation of heroes, a new bloodline begins with you. I ask of you… save the world. As your father did before you… I love you two very much." Ciel says before the disc ejects from the table's computer. Alister and Sara are speechless for a few moments. They sit there without words and a blank face.

"Are you two alright?" Aile asks them.

"I think we need some time to soak this in…" Sara says before leaving the room.

"I should go with her… after all she is my sister." Alister says before leaving.

"Those two will be fine, although we do need someone to recon the volcano area." Blake mentions.

"We will tell them tomorrow, right now they need to gather their thoughts." Aile speaks before May lee and Russell walk back in.

End of Chapter 32


	34. Chapter 33: Volcano From Hell

Rockman ZW: The Dark Ages

Chapter 33: Volcano From Hell

The very next morning Alister wakes inside of Sara's room as he stayed over talking to her all night. He sniffs the air and instantly jumps to his feet off of the floor. He walks into her kitchen as his eyes lock on to the breakfast that she had been preparing. Eggs and bacon with toast that made Alister drool. He goes to grab a plate before she slaps his hand.

"Not yet! Go sit down first!" she snaps at him before he does what she says.

"Yes mother…" he returns before she brings him his plate. Instantly Alister begins to eat the food set before him. Sara sits down across the table to join him.

How did you sleep?" he asks her before he finishes his breakfast.

"I sleep well actually…" she replies as Alister drinks from his glass.

"I slept well too. For some reason learning that I am the son of Zero doesn't come much of a shock…" he says while standing up. He walks over to the sink and washes his plate off before going back to the table.

"I've really only heard of Zero in the history classes and such… I never expected to be his daughter. I always found it odd that my parents could never be found… I guess this answers that." she replies before sipping from her glass.

"Praire knew who I was the entire time… but instead of revealing that to me she kept it to herself. She knew that Model Z had the essence of our father. Mother… I wonder if she knew this was going to happen?" he asks while closing his eyes to think. Sara remained silent as well as she was in deep thought along with him. The silence was broken by Sara's communicator going off. They jump as she reaches for it.

"What is it?" she asks while catching her breath from the scare.

"We need you and Alister for a mission. Please report in." Aile tells her before the transmission cuts off. Alister puts his jacket on before he opens her door.

"Shall we, sister?" he asks with a smile.

"Don't get use to calling me your sister. I'm still in command over you." she replies with a smirk on her face. They walk out of the room and walk towards the elevator. Walking into the command room they find their leaders sitting at the table waiting for them.

"What is the mission about?" Alister asks while sitting down next to Sara. Suddenly a screen pops up showing a volcano.

"This is a video of the same volcano where our two elite diggers found you Alister. Watch the video closely and you will see the need for this mission." Blake tells them as they continue to watch. A minute goes by before they can suddenly see black shadows lurking towards the volcano.

"Destroyers?" Sara asks with a worried look.

"Correct." replies Aile.

"What is a… Destroyer?" questions Alister while looking at them.

"Do you remember that black figure you battled against the day we found you?" asks Aile.

"Yeah… it looked like a black version of Sonic Tiger." replies Alister.

"Well, that was an evil copy created by Khan. He takes the DNA of fallen heroes… or even fallen villains. He uses their DNA to create a more powerful version of the real host. The only difference is they are completely loyal to Khan and will follow his every command." Aile continues to explain.

"The Destroyers have wiped out many cities… many homes… and many lives." Sara adds.

"Now I'm going to pause the footage and zoom into the center of that group." Blake says while typing on the keyboard. When he presses enter Alister stands to his feet while looking at the screen.

"Khan!" he shouts as he watches the shadows take him inside the volcano.

"What are they doing with his body?" asks Sara as Alister looks closer.

"Reviving him!" Alister and Blake says at the same time.

"If those shadows succeed in reviving Khan, he will come to kill us all. We thought this time we had won for sure…" Aile states while she turns the video off. Alister slams his fists on the table surprising the three.

"Time after time Khan has been the reason for all of my pain! He has been the reason for all of my suffering! He took Angeline from me… she died in my arms… and wished for me to have a future… he made me kill Jake along with hundreds upon hundreds of people…" Alister starts as tears run down his cheeks.

"Alister…" Aile mutters wile closing her eyes.

"I won't let Khan come back to life! Even if it costs me my life… I swear it!" Alister finishes as Sara puts her hand on his shoulder.

"You're not alone Alister. I'll be with you all the way brother." she tells him before he nods his head.

"Because of the importance of this mission Aile will be going with you. I'm staying here because we cannot risk an attack at this point. Your transportation is ready and waiting. God speed you three." he says while saluting them. Alister and Sara walk out as Aile follows them. But before she could leave Blake grabs her arm and pulls her close to him.

"Be careful Aile… I don't want anything to happen to you." he tells her while kissing her. She returns the kiss before they look into each others eyes.

"Blake… once this is all done… and we are finally at peace… let's have a baby together." she tells him as he smiles.

"You mean to tell me that we've been married for three years and you're just now wanting a baby?" he jokes.

"Yes… I didn't want our child to be born in a world that is full of chaos and despair." Aile replies while turning away from him.

"I would like that very much Aile." he speaks while hugging her from behind.

She smiles before leaving the room. Blake turns his attention to the computers as soon as she leaves. Hours pass as the three heroes arrive at the volcano. They jump out of the jet before it takes off in a hurry. Aile pulls out a map that May lee had given her before leaving. She points the way to the entrance of the volcano before stashing it inside of her pocket. They did not travel far before they see shadows lurking everywhere. They avoid them as best they can for the time. Sara puts on thermal goggles that is specifically designed to search for Live Metals. She looks around before locking on to Khan's Live Metal.

"That way." she speaks while pointing towards the middle of the volcano.

"Alright, let's go." Aile says while following Sara.

Alister follows after Aile while he is keeps a close eye on the areas behind them. Suddenly he can start to make out green eyes. The green eyes begin to turn red as the numbers begin to grow.

"Girls… we may have a problem behind us." Alister says before they turn around to see what he is talking about. Sara turns back around again to look in front of them only to find their route blocked by dozens of Destroyers.

"We're trapped…" Aile whispers.

"Then there is only one thing to do." Alister says while holding his Model ZW in his right hand. The two girls nod in agreement as they group together.

"Rock on!" they shout while a flash of light briefly stuns the Destroyers.

Aile chooses Model FX and dashes towards a group of shadows while firing rapidly. Alister leaps towards a group as he slashes back and forth. Sara twirls her weapon above her head which fires ice daggers towards the shadows. As the seconds go by more and more enemies appear.

"They're appearing faster than we can destroy them!" Alister points out.

"Then we should be on our way!" Sara adds while Aile looks around to see that a large amount of them is coming from their left.

"Everyone! Focus your attack in that direction!" she yells before transforming into Model X. The three get together and begin to focus their strength.

"Charge shot!!" Aile yells while unleashing her attack.

"Go!!" Alister and Sara yell as they slam the ground to create a massive shockwave that combines with Aile's charge shot. Their combined efforts cuts through the biggest group of Destroyers and creates a path for them. They run forward as the shadows follow close behind them.

"Take this!" Alister yells before briefly transforming into Model ZG.

He fires above the path they had just come from. His blast causes the rocks above to fall and block the shadows from reaching them. He then returns to Model ZW as they take a moment to breath. There is a red light that suddenly appears, it disappears then appears again time after time.

"It's like a heartbeat…" Sara points out.

"Then we may be getting closer… let's keep going down this path. It's not like we have a choice…" Alister adds while looking behind at the blocked path. They continue forward as the red light continues to appear and disappear. They find where the light is coming from as they enter an extremely large cavern. They can see shadows all around them heading down towards the lava.

"Look! Down there!" Aile exclaims while pointing. They look to find Khan's body in the center of everything. The Destroyers are being absorbed into Khan's body which causes the beating light.

"They must be trying to give him back the power that Khan gave them in the first place! This is his own way of having another life!" Sara says while the shadows take notice of them. Many of them change direction and head towards the three heroes. Without warning, Alister leaps down towards them.

"Alister!" the two girls shout as Alister is suddenly surrounded by the shadows.

They leap down to help as an orb of light surrounds the shadows. As the light deflects them off of Alister he appears out of the light as Model ZG and fires at Khan's body. He continues to fire rapidly while falling, using the blast for an extra push upwards. The shadows try to stop him but Aile and Sara attack the Destroyers that attempt to kill Alister. He continues his assault on Khan's body but his attacks don't seem to be doing anything.

Frustrated, Alister charges the cannons on his arms which causes him to suddenly free fall towards Khan and the lava under him. Aile and Sara take notice but are tied up with the shadows. At point blank range Alister releases the cannons might. This massive blast sends him flying upwards. He slams into the ceiling while still firing his cannons. As the minute goes by his cannons melt off before exploding in front of him. He returns to Model ZW before disappearing. He then appears next to Aile and Sara to aid them.

"I don't get it! Nothing will get through!" Alister shouts while attacking the Destroyers behind them.

"Then we need to cut off his source of power!" Sara shouts as she freezes a group to their left.

"I agree! Let's give it a try!" Aile adds while transforming into Model HX.

She flies down towards Khan's body as Alister and Sara leap off of the walls. Aile instantly begins to charge before unleashing a massive bolt of electricity and aims it at the shadows that Khan's body is absorbing. Sara moves to freeze another group that is moving towards Khan. She jumps towards them and freezes the lava under her. She runs along the lava freezing it each step at a time. The lava quickly melts the ice behind her. She twirls her staff above her head again. As the ice daggers destroy many of the shadows Alister rapidly slashes at the shadows.

He continues to disappear before appearing next to another group. They keep this up for some time before they eventually tire out. There are few shadows left but they continue to head towards Khan. They regain their strength as they watch the last shadow absorb into Khan's body. The lava begins to lose its bright color as the volcano begins to shake.

"It's just like Vent said…" Alister says out loud.

"What?!" Aile quickly asks.

"He said that Khan would be back, before he died… he was right. If we let Khan get out of this volcano alive… Tera will be engulfed in flames once again. We have to stop him now and here!" Alister says while raising his voice.

"For Tera!" Sara shouts while the shaking stops.

"For the people of this world!" Aile shouts while the lava's color returns to normal.

"For the sake of the future! We cannot fail here!" Alister adds as Khan's eyes open wide. He stands to his feet even though there is nothing under him. He looks around before looking directly at the three heroes above him standing on the ledge.

"You…!" he shouts before rising up towards them. He hovers in front of them with a very big smirk on his face. He moves his right arm away from him as his scythe appears. This time its shape is more jagged and a bit longer than before.

"Khan!" Alister yells as Aile and Sara get ready to fight. Khan moves his left arm towards them while laughing.

"No interruptions!" he shouts before they suddenly disappear. Alister looks all around for them before turning back to Khan.

"What did you do to them?!" he questions while extending his left arm slasher.

"They are safe for now Alister… I want a one on one fight with my old friend…" Khan taunts as Alister suddenly has a faint glow around his body.

"You're wrong! You may think this is one on one… but my father fights with me!" Alister yells before leaping towards Khan.

End of Chapter 33


	35. Chapter 34: Black Rockman

Rockman ZW: The Dark Ages

Chapter 34: Black Rockman

Khan moves out of the way of Alister's attack but soon finds him attacking him from behind. Khan thrusts his elbow into Alister's stomach and causes him to fly back. Alister sends a shockwave towards Khan who slashes towards it to deflect it. Alister jumps up to dodge as Khan rushes forward to pin him against the ceiling. He presses hard against him which causes the ceiling to crumble behind him.

"Just think of it Alister… when I kill you, I am going to kill your friends. As well as the entire city that you're hiding from me! Oh it's going to be so nice to finally get the Tera Resistance off my back!" Khan taunts him.

"You're so full of yourself!" Alister shouts before pushing back. He frees himself from Khan's might before turning around to slash Khan in the back.

"Now you attack me from behind? Coward!" Khan shouts while slashing towards Alister.

"You who destroys all that is good dare to call me a coward?!" Alister argues as they clash with each other in mid air.

They break each others weapon as they land on a cliff opposite of each other. Both of them regenerate their weapon at the same time, both of them starring each other down. They leap towards each other again, this time staying a distance from the other. They begin to slash which sends shockwave after shockwave towards the other, both of them dodging the others attacks.

"If I was at full power… you would not be rivaling me right now!" Khan shouts as he lands on the cliff behind him.

"Don't make excuses! When you lose it will be because the power of light overcomes all darkness!" Alister returns which angers Khan. Suddenly there is a dark aura around his body as Alister takes notice and produces an aura of light around his body.

"I see you have learned how to control your powers… again I am impressed with you Alister. It is a shame that you will not join me." Khan says while his scythe glows. He leaps towards Alister who instantly transforms into Model ZG and fires at Khan. The blast connects with Khan and forces him back to his cliff.

"Sit down!" Alister yells.

"How dare you!!" Khan returns.

"Shut up! You don't need to talk anymore Khan! I will kill you and make sure that the future is safe from your evil!" Alister tells him before his arm slashers extend. Khan just laughs at this which confusing Alister a bit.

"You think you can kill me? Even if you do, I will come back stronger than before! Nothing on this planet can stop me! You are fighting a losing battle my friend! I am immortal! I am a god!" Khan returns while Alister thinks about it for a moment. He lowers his arms to his sides while closing his eyes. Khan is curious as to what Alister is doing.

"What should I do Zerowing? If what he says is true… what I am doing right now is for nothing…" Alister thinks.

"The fight against evil is never for nothing. Where there is evil, there will always be light. You have to embrace the light to destroy the darkness. That is the only answer I can give you Alister… you are the eternal light that destroys all evil…" Model ZW replies.

Alister suddenly opens his eyes, he knows how to defeat Khan forever. While Alister is thinking Khan takes the moment and leaps forward. As he goes to attack Alister there is a sudden light that clashes with Khan. He can see Alister holding back his attack with his right arm slasher. He is starring Khan right in the face before pushing him backwards. Khan hovers in the air as Alister lets out a scream. There is a massive amount of light around Alister now. The aura is so powerful that it melts the rock underneath him. He hovers in the air in front of Khan who is shocked by this.

"So this is the power that you displayed in my tower? Hmph… I am not impressed anymore." Khan tells him with an evil smile.

"I'm not interested in what impresses you, nor am I interested in your crappy speeches about how the world should bow to you! Enjoy your last moment on this planet Khan… this is the legacy that my father passed down to me!!" Alister tells him.

"How do you expect to defeat me and keep me down?" questions Khan while laughing.

"I am… no… We are the eternal light, that will destroy all evil! That means you Khan!!" Alister yells while rushing forward.

He creates a sonic boom as he tackles Khan. He disappears then does the same from behind. Khan turns to counter but Alister slashes at his scythe which instantly cuts it in half. It falls down into the pool of lava below. Alister then grabs Khan with his left hand and uses his right arm to slash into Khan's chest. Khan lets out a cry of pain as Alister sticks his slasher deep into Khan's chest.

"What… are you trying to do?" Khan asks while coughing up blood.

Alister is silent as he jabs his other arm slasher into Khan's chest as well. Suddenly the aura around Alister disappears. His arm slashers begin to glow with the power of the aura which suddenly surrounds them both. Khan looks around as Alister pulls the slashers out of his chest. Khan attempts to heal but for some reason can't.

"What… is going on?!" asks a scared Khan. Alister begins to glow as the light gets brighter around them.

"I've used… all of my power… I have destroyed your Live Metal… just die Khan… just die!!" Alister yells before using the last of his might to power his next attack.

He moves his arms to the side as his slashers glow. They grow larger as he swings towards Khan who is screaming the entire time. His attack completely destroys Khan's body. There is nothing left as the light around Alister gets larger and larger.

"Now… Model ZW!" Alister screams in pain as if the light around him exploded. Outside Aile and Sara are attempting to get back inside as the light surrounds them.

"What is this…?" asks Sara as she can feel warmth suddenly.

"Is this…?" Aile starts before realizing what was going on. "No! Alister!!" she quickly adds before blasting through the rock. The light continues throughout the entire planet before Alister falls to the ground. He losses his form as Model ZW falls next to him, cracked and falling apart. Alister's entire body is glowing now as he rolls over to his back before closing his eyes.

"Well… Model ZW… our job is done. I only hope that the future for this world is a bright one…" Alister tells Model ZW.

"It will be… and I… must thank you Alister." Model ZW replies.

"What for…?" asks Alister as he turns to look at Model ZW.

"For giving me… the death of a Guardian." Model ZW replies as Alister smiles while closing his eyes again. He can see Angeline standing over him, smiling at him.

"Angeline…" Alister thinks before his body begins to disappear.

His fragments twirl around his body before there is nothing left. Model ZW simply loses its color as Aile and Sara come rushing in. They notice the fragments in the air before looking down at Model ZW. Sara picks it up as they look around for Alister. Sadly, nothing could be found…

"It has been one year since Alister was lost to us. The light that first surrounded us surrounded the entire world, instantly rebuilding the damages to Tera. The people of Tera were able to live in peace once again. Most of them do not know of what happened or how the planet was saved from Khan and his evil ways. As peace swept across the planet we were able to once again breath the air above ground. The people of our city never forgot what Alister had done for them. We searched for Alister in hopes that he would still be alive… but we couldn't find him. Alister gave his life to protect everyone he cared for… We had a statue built for Alister with him standing strong. Behind him was Black Rockman with his back to Alister. We placed Model ZW above the plate with words from Alister. I am the eternal light that destroys all evil… I gave birth to a baby boy. Blake and I are very happy. We named him Alister… in honor of the one who saved Tera. His story will be told to the generations to come. So that they will never forget… As of what happened after that… it is not my place to tell…" Aile tells her son as she closes a book with pictures of the past. Her son has brown hair about the same length of Blake's. He has Aile's eyes. He wears a grey shirt with blue pants.

"So that is where I got my name?" asks Alister as Aile stands to her feet.

"Yes son… you're now sixteen so I thought I should tell you his story." she replies.

"I had no idea…" he says before there is an explosion outside. He looks out of the window to see that it is another group of Mavericks.

"Go on Alister, you have things to take care of." she tells him before opening the door. He runs outside before standing in front of the group of Mavericks.

"It's just a boy! Kill him!" they shout while Alister reaches into his pocket before taking out a Live Metal.

"Rock on!" he shouts before the new Black Rockman stands in front of the Mavericks.

End of Rockman ZW: The Dark Ages.


	36. Chapter 35: Destroyed World

**I would like to begin with explaining something before everyone starts reading the third part in this trilogy. The Alister you all know and love from the first two parts is dead. The Alister in this third part is the son of Blake and Aile that was mentioned in the previous chapter. I really wanted to point that out, as many of my friends have been confused about this issue in the past. This part of the story is a bit darker than the other two, and also has a different feel to it. Do not worry if you are a bit confused in this part of the story, as all will be explained later on.**

Rockman ZW: Genesis

Chapter 35: Destroyed World

Silence…

Darkness…

Sadness…

Despair…

Hope…

Anger…

Vengence…

Hate…

Love…

Evil…

Justice…

Light…

These thoughts echo through the head of a seventeen year old boy who opens his eyes to a dark and cloudy sky. The thunder echoes across the desert as he sits up and looks around for a sign of life. He looks at his hands which are covered in dirt. While looking around again he can see nothing but the desert, a dark desert with no life in sight. Suddenly he gets a flashback which causes him pain. He holds his hands over his ears as if there was a loud screech next to him. The pain stops as soon as the flashback ends, all he could see was lightning, and five figures in the distance. All of them looked unknown to him. He stands to his feet before something falls out of his right pocket. He takes notice of this and moves to pick it up.

"What is this…?" he thinks to himself while looking it over.

It is black with green eyes. There is a spike coming out of the top of the forehead of the small object. A small silver scarf is wrapped around the bottom of it under the eyes. Not thinking too much about it he simply puts it back in his pocket. While scratching his head he dusts his blue pants off before wiping his grey shirt off as well. He walks towards a distant light that is shining. He staggers at first, but then gets a steady walk soon after. The wind begins to pick up every now and then as he treks across the land. As the light in the distance becomes closer by the minute he takes notice that the light is actually inside of a tower that is near a large city. The city has large walls all around it which keeps out most of the sandstorms. As he walks up to the city walls he is soon stopped by a group of men who are aiming their rifles at him.

"Halt! State your business here!" the Captain commands while watching him closely.

"I don't… really know. Maybe you could help me?" the boy asks them. The Captain looks into his eyes then holds up his right hand.

"Let him pass. He's just another Drifter." he orders them.

"Drifter…? Me…?" he mutters to himself.

They open the large gates to the city and escort him inside. As the gates close behind him he turns around to see the massive city from the inside. There are some people walking around looking for the best deals at the food stands for the day. He looks into the distance to see a large castle. It is made out of stone and has dozens upon dozens of guards walking all over it. As soon as he takes notice of this someone grabs onto his arm and turns him around. It is a woman with long blonde hair and green eyes. She is wearing a tan colored robe.

"Hello and welcome! My name is Sue! What is your name?" she asks him in a somewhat happy and scary way.

"I think… my name is Alister…" he replies while holding his head.

"Well then Alister welcome to City Four! I am the Drifter guide for you today! I am here to find you a place to live and to answer any questions you may have!" she tells him before walking off. She grabs his left arm and drags him along.

"What is a Drifter?" he questions.

"A Drifter is someone who appears at the gate of the city who does not know who they are. They know only their name. However… some are not as fortunate to remember their name." she replies with one of those smiles that just seem to put chills down anyones spine.

"I have had a flashback of some sort of memory… I don't know what it is…" he speaks while they walk into a building.

"That is normal for a Drifter. If you continue to have these flashbacks, let me know and I can help you with them!" she tells him while closing the door behind them. Alister looks around to see that it is just a normal house. With a few chairs and a table in the middle of the room, kind of boring looking.

"Where are we?" he asks while walking forward.

"This is your new home! You will have a week to get settled in before you are registered into the city records! After you are registered, you will be given a job to work so you may earn your living here in City Four!" she tells him.

"Why are you calling it by a number?" he asks her.

"It has always been like this! Every city on the planet has a number, they have no name!" she replies while walking out of the door.

Being bored with his new surroundings, Alister walks out of his new house. As he closes the door behind him children run past him while playing. He laughs to himself while walking away. He starts to explore the area around his house, attempting to get a grasp of his location. He finds a market with plenty of food around the corner. There is also an area for people to just talk with each other. A small park is nearby where the kids play most of the day when they are not in school. He looks down the street to see many homes like his own. All of them lined up for a very long way down.

"This place is very large… but also very dull looking." he says to himself while putting his hands in his pockets.

His right hand bumps against the object he dropped before. He takes it out to look at it again. The eyes are glowing which he didn't notice before. As he glares at the eyes he gets a brief image of himself facing down odd looking robots who intends to kill him. He shakes his head while putting it back in his pocket. He continues to explore the city while ignoring the previous image in his head. He comes across a somewhat large ruined part of City Four where Drifters that don't work live. He can see many of them in rags, but they seem happy. There is another thing that catches his eye. A guy who carries what looks like a sword by his side. As the city guard walks by for a patrol he hides in the shadows trying to avoid them. Some other people in rags cover the alley where he hides. As the guards walk away they move as he walks back out. He takes notice of Alister watching him then moves away himself. Alister continues on his way, still mapping out the city in his head. Unknown to Alister the person with the sword is now following him. As he makes his trip around the city he grows tired finally. He finds his way back to his house then enters with a yawn to follow. As he closes the door he turns around to see a sword heading towards his neck. Alister rolls out of the way only to be knocked off of his feet very swiftly. The sword wielder goes for a stab while he is on the ground. Alister kicks him away knocking the wind out of him.

"Whoa whoa! What did I do to you!?" Alister shouts while standing to his feet. The sword wielder holds his sword in front of him before putting it back in his sheath.

"You were watching me before. I take no chances." he tells him before tackling Alister.

"I was just curious! This is my first day here! I was walking around to get familiar with the city!" he says before knocking him off. The person turns on the lights after that. He has mid length hair and teal colored eyes. He wears a black long sleeve shirt and black pants, with black boots as well.

"So… you are a Drifter as well." he says while sitting down.

"So you're sitting down? In my house? Someone who just tried to chop my head off?" Alister asks him with an irritated voice.

"I apologize. My name is Manabu. I am always on the run from the city guard here. So when I spotted you watching me, I was alarmed." he explains.

"Well next time try knocking. It's not as lethal." Alister tries to joke as Manabu stares at him while standing to his feet.

"It is rude to not tell me what your name is." he says while walking next to him.

"My name is Alister… Alister Storm." he tells him.

"Well I suppose you want to know why I am hiding?" asks Manabu.

"I am curious… but that is what got me into this mess…" he responds.

"I help those in the ruined city. Simply put, I help them get food and clean clothes." Manabu tells him.

"You mean you steal?" Alister questions while turning to him.

"To put it simply… yes. I have troubled you enough." he says before walking out of the house.

Alister is tired now, even more so after his little fight with Manabu. He walks into the room next to the living room. His bedroom has only his bed inside. A window above his bed lets him look into the back alley of his street. He takes off his shirt and shoes before getting in bed. He soon falls asleep as he thinks about the flashback. He begins to dream, in his dream he is facing off against more odd looking robots. They are all black and in the shadows, all he knows is they are robots. He is also holding that strange object in his right hand. He suddenly holds the object in front of him before shouting two words.

"Rock on!" he shouts as there is a bright light. As soon as the light ends all of the robots are gone. Alister suddenly opens his eyes to the sound of someone being beaten in the alley behind his house. He looks out the window to see Manabu being beaten by the city guards. Alarmed, he puts his shirt and shoes back on and runs out of his back door.

"Hey!" he calls to them before they take notice as two drag Manabu away. Four of them walk up to Alister.

"Sir, this is a criminal. We are sorry if we awoke you in the night, but you should mind your own business and go back to sleep." the Captain tells him.

"So you're beating him to death? That doesn't seem right!" Alister tells them before he spots Manabu coughing up blood. Alister pushes them out of the way before aiding Manabu. Angered, the Captain pulls Alister off of Manabu which throws him back to the ground.

"I said to stay out of this!" the Captain shouts before punching Alister in the stomach. The guard next to the Captain kicks Alister in the side before walking away. In a lot of pain Alister remembers his dream, and the strange object that he held in front of him.

"Manabu…" he thinks to himself. He staggers inside of his house and makes his way to the table where he placed the object.

"I don't really know what is going on with me, or what is going on inside of my head… but I do know that it all has something to do with you! So please… help me save Manabu!" Alister pleads to the object. It lets out a glow before rising into the air which made Alister think he was crazier than he thought.

"I will help you Alister Storm. I am Model ZW, the eternal light that destroys all evil." it tells him before hovering in front of him. Alister quickly grabs it before running out of the house. He runs down the alley and follows the trail of blood while he recalls the dream. He holds the Model ZW in front of him while running.

"Rock on!" he shouts. As he runs his body is transformed nearly instantly in a flash of light. He stops dead in his tracks in awe that it actually worked. He wasn't sure if he was losing his mind or not. He is now wearing a black and silver armor with a spike on his forehead that points upwards. His silver scarf flips in the wind as he runs towards Manabu. He has a black face mask on with a silver strip going across the middle. He soon finds the six guards still beating on him. The Captain grabs Manabu's sword before taking it out of his sheath.

"You will die by your own sword you fool!" he shouts before swinging. In mid swing Alister grabs the blade. The Captain is speechless as his guards surround Alister while taking aim with their rifles. The Captain drops the sword before walking backwards.

"I don't know who you are but you just made a huge mistake! Fire!" he shouts as they open fire. Alister ducks to dodge as the bullets miss and hit a guard on each side. Four of them fall over dead as Alister walks towards the Captain and his last guard. He lunges forward with a knife which is suddenly blocked by Alister's left arm slasher. He punches the guard in the face which sends him flying backwards into a wall.

"Wow…" Alister mutters to himself. Scared to death the Captain flees, leaving his guard behind. Alister walks over to the guard who stands to his feet and looks Alister in the eyes.

"Boo." Alister speaks as the guard runs off scared. He walks over to Manabu who is struggling to stand. He helps him up before taking him back to his house. He makes sure that there is nobody in sight before entering the back door. He takes the covers off of his bed and uses his arm slashers to cut the sheets. He wraps them around Manabu who is watching him the entire time.

"Alister…?" he asks before coughing again.

"You'll be fine. I brought your sword as well, rest Manabu." Alister tells him before walking into the next room. He closes the door behind him before looking at his hands which are shaking at the moment.

"What am I? How do I know how to do all of this?" he asks himself before losing his form. Tired he lies down on the floor and falls asleep.

"Rest Alister. You have no idea of the long and difficult journey you have ahead of you. It looks like you have already found a friend… I will help you as much as I can… like your namesake." speaks Model ZW before it stops glowing.

End of Chapter 35


	37. Chapter 36: The Path

Rockman ZW: Genesis

Chapter 36: The Path

"Alister… Alister… it's time to wake up now Alister. You will be late for school…" a voice echoes through Alister's head as he sits up.

He looks around for the one speaking but can not find anyone, but for some reason he felt comfort in the unknown voice. He shakes it off upon realizing what had happened the night before. He jumps to his feet before opening the door to his room. He finds Manabu still lying in his bed with his eyes open. As Alister walks closer Manabu sits up.

"You took a pretty good beating last night." Alister starts while standing at the end of the bed.

"That was not the first time… I doubt it will be the last." Manabu scoffs.

"I guess this city has a crooked system?" asks Alister.

"You could say that. The leader of City Four Smith Jysler, is not the most trust worthy of leaders." Manabu replies.

"So because you help others in need the City Guard stay on patrol for people like you?" Alister continues.

"In a way… yes. Since the poor drifters do not work, they require less funds to take care of. So when someone like me tries to give them more food to get by with, Smith gets angry. Like I said… this was not the first time something like this has happened." Manabu says before looking up at Alister. "It is the first time I was saved by a person in a costume however." he adds.

"Oh… well about that… I'm new to it too… I've never done that before." Alister tells him with a stressed look on his face.

"Then how did you know all of those moves? You knew how to react at the right moment." says Manabu. 

"That's the strange thing about it… I have no idea how I did all of that. I've never done anything like that before… but it was like it came natural to me. I can't explain it honestly." said Alister while leaning against the wall. Manabu gives him an odd look before starting to get out of bed. He holds his side due to all of the bruises but continues to put his shirt on.

"Thank you for your help Alister. I have troubled you enough… so I shall be on my way." Manabu speaks before grabbing his katana blade. He then walks out of Alister's room while heading towards the back door.

"Hey." Alister calls to him as Manabu stops.

"What is it?" asks Manabu while turning his head.

"Are you sure you want to go out like that? What if the City Guard try to come back and finish what they started?" questions Alister before Manabu scoffs again.

"They caught me off guard last night, nothing more. I can assure you it will not happen again." he replies before walking out of the door. Alister scratches the back of his head while having another stressed look on his face.

"Alister." a voice calls to him.

"Who said that?" Alister asks while looking around. He finally locks his eyes on Model ZW which is on the table next to the door.

"I called your name." Model ZW replies as Alister bends over to look at it.

"Oh yeah… I forgot you could talk. Am I going crazy here?" Alister asks while looking around for a gas leak.

"Not at all. You can hear me because I am a part of you, as you are a part of me. It is a bond that we share which allows us to communicate with each other. Just like others before, you are forever stored in my memory." Model ZW tells him.

"Right… so tell me… how did I know how to do all of that stuff last night? Did you act through me?" questions Alister.

"In a way… yes. There is much more you will learn as time goes by. When and how you use that power is completely up to you Alister. I know you can do it." Model ZW replies to him.

"How do you know I can do it? What if you've made the wrong choice?" Alister continues to question.

"I have been through many battles… only one person has been able to harness my powers." Model ZW answers him.

"Who is the other person?" Alister asks him as Model ZW did not reply that time. It stayed silent as the front door is being knocked on. Alister goes to open the door as someone from the City Guard stands there.

"Hello sir. The City Guard is looking for a thief at the moment and we were hoping some of the citizens have seen him… have you seen this person?" he asks while holding up a picture of Manabu. Alister looks at it closely before looking at the officer again.

"I've never seen him before. To be honest this is my second day here at City Four." Alister replies.

"Thank you for your time sir." the officer says before walking to the next house. As Alister closes the door another officer walks past muttering to himself. Alister keeps the door open to listen in.

"As soon as we find that little thief he's a dead man." the officer mutters. Alister then closes the door and walks to his room to sit down on his bed.

"This is bad… if they find Manabu… he's going to be in serious trouble. He may be quick on his feet but they have firearms, not to mention they out number him five to one." he thinks to himself.

"Never underestimate a cornered animal." Model ZW suddenly speaks up causing Alister to jump a bit.

"Great… you can hear my thoughts too… this should be a fun relationship." Alister says out loud before leaving his room. He grabs Model ZW and places it in his right pocket. He is getting hungry at that point so he leaves his house in search of food. He looks up at the sky watching the dark clouds float by. While walking down the street a food stand has a banner above it that reads

"Drifters eat FREE on their first week!" Enjoying free food he sits down at one of the three seats. The girl in charge of the stand turns around to look at Alister.

"You're new here right?" she asks him as he looks at her. She has long red hair that is in a ponytail. She has blue eyes and is wearing a white t-shirt and blue jean pants.

"Yes ma'am." he replies.

"Please don't call me ma'am. I'm only eighteen. For your free food you have a choice of a hamburger or steak. Both of those choices come with fries." she tells him with a slight chuckle.

"Give me the steak please. My name is Alister." he says while she prepares his food. She puts the steak on the grill before extending her hand to him.

"My name is Susan." she greets while seasoning his steak. She then puts the fries in the deep fryer.

"Tell me… has the sky always looked like this?" Alister asks her while looking at the clouds.

"As far back as I can recall… yes. The sky has always looked like this." she replies while flipping the steak over.

"Has it ever seemed… off to you? Like this entire world is not correct?" he asks her.

She pulls the fries out of the deep fryer and places them on a plate in front of him. She then pulls another plate out from underneath the counter. It already has food on top of it. Chicken fried steak with gravy and potatoes. She places his steak on the first plate then leaves the back of the stand. She then sits down next to Alister and starts to eat.

"What are you waiting for? I have to eat too you know!" she tells him while pointing to his food.

"Sorry…" he replies before digging in.

"So how long have you been here?" she asks him while taking a drink. She then realizes that she forgot his drink. She stands up and reaches behind the counter to grab him a bottle of water.

"This would be my second day." he replies while enjoying the food. Susan looks him over before putting her glass down.

"Listen… I'm going to tell you something. You need to listen to what I say and never forget it." she says while Alister takes a drink.

"Alright… what is it?" he asks her.

"Don't ask too many questions to people you don't know. I have seen many Drifters before you who have asked the same questions you have today. After their first week here they are brought before the one in charge of the city, which would be Smith Jysler. If you ask too many questions he will erase you. I never see those Drifters with questions ever again." she warns him.

"Why are you telling me this? Won't you get in trouble?" he asks her.

"I'm telling you this because I think you're kinda cute. Besides… I never get caught." she replies before finishing her food. Alister couldn't find the words to reply with so he just stayed silent. Minutes later he finishes his food and stands up getting ready to leave.

"Thank you for the food. It was really good." he tells her.

"I'm sure you'll be back before the week is up. I'll see you around Alister." she says while cleaning up the stand. Alister begins to walk off before he spots something in the distance. Two kids watching him from the alleys. He walks over to them while they go into hiding.

"Is there something I can help you two with?" he calls to them as Susan takes notice. The two kids come out of the shadows to look at Alister.

"We were just watching you eat mister… we were hungry… that's all." one tells him. Susan soon walks up with a bag full of food for them.

"Thank you ma'am!" the other shouts in joy as they run off while eating.

"Those two come around often. They know I will give them free food." she tells Alister before walking back to her stand.

"Won't you get in trouble for doing something like that?" he asks her.

"This is my food stand. I may use the food materials provided by the city but I can also use them how I want. I will not sit by and watch children go hungry because of some stupid leader." she replies.

"Just like Manabu…" Alister mutters which catches her attention.

"What did you say!? How do you know Manabu!?" she questions as he sits down again.

"All I will say is I helped him out of a mess with the City Guard last night. They were beating him to death." Alister tells her. Interesting her, she sits down behind the counter.

"How did you help him? The City Guard is a strong force!" she says with interest in her eyes.

"Do not reveal your secret to her. It can cause problems for her as well as you." Model ZW tells Alister.

"I just caused a distraction while he ran back to my house. He stayed there for the night and left this morning." Alister tells her after hearing Model ZW's words. "How do you know him?" asks Alister.

"I guess you can call him a friend of mine. He really only shows up when he needs food." Susan tells him. They talk for awhile as time goes by without them taking notice. Most of the time they talk about Manabu, and his actions. Alister finds himself enjoying Susan's company a lot. Before he could realize it, it was dark outside. He had spent the entire day with Susan at her food stand.

"Wow, I really need to go home now I guess. Thank you for wasting your time with me today." he says before standing up and stretching.

"Not at all. It's rare that I get to talk with someone like this, I enjoyed it Alister. Have a good nights rest." Susan says before closing the shop down.

She walks away at the same time Alister does. He is about to enter his house when he can hear noises behind his house again. He sneaks around the side only to see Manabu being teamed up on again. Manabu seems to get free of their attacks, and runs towards Alister. Not knowing he is there, he crashes into him head first, knocking them both down on the ground. The City Guard rush to them only to see Alister rubbing his head. The Captain from the night before walks up.

"I remember you! You tried to help this guy last night!" he says before picking Alister up.

"Yeah! Because you guys were beating him to death!" Alister shouts as the Captain throws him in the middle of the group of officers.

"Since you tried to help him that means you are with him. You will be killed along with him." the Captain tells him before taking aim with his rifle.

"You should have just stayed out of this Alister… now you will die because of my lack of skill." Manabu says while looking around. The two of them get back to back as they ready themselves.

"Kill them!" the Captain shouts as the shots fire.

The two of them close their eyes as nothing happens. They open their eyes to see that all of the guards including the Captain have been killed. They look around to see who had done this. They look up above Alister's house to see a figure with armor standing there. His red cape flips in the wind as he watches them. His armor is a green and yellow color with red on his shoulders. He has a face mask with those same colors in a swirl fashion. There is green on the top part of the mask, while red is below his nose area. It covers his entire head as well. His green eyes glow before disappearing into the darkness.

"I have no idea on what just happened… but I'm glad your safe." speaks Alister while looking around.

"That is twice you have come to my rescue. You are an honorable person Alister. I did not thank you for your help last night. My full name is Manabu Kaze, I am forever at your service." he tells Alister.

"Service? What?" asks a confused Alister.

"I believe in honor with all of my heart. You are an honorable person. For that, I will help you in any way possible." he replies as more City Guard suddenly appear.

"They killed the Captain! Kill them! Put out the word!" the new Captain shouts to the others.

"Come! It is no longer safe here!" Manabu exclaims as they run from the City Guard. The bullets fly past their heads while they run for cover.

"What should we do!?" asks Alister.

"You're the one with the odd powers! You tell me!" Manabu replies while ducking back to avoid a bullet.

"Trust in your friend Alister, he will get you through this." Model ZW tells him. Alister stays quiet while the City Guard gets closer to their position. As one turns the corner Manabu leaps forward while slashing wildly with his katana. The officer loses his arm as Alister and Manabu run off towards the city wall.

"The only problem is getting through this massive wall!" Manabu says as they can hear the officers getting closer.

"Now Alister!" Model ZW shouts.

"Rock on!" Alister suddenly shouts as he transforms. He attacks the wall with his arm slashers which cuts them a hole big enough for them to fit through. They run off into the darkness of the night and escape the City Guard. Hours later they realize it is safe to go to sleep. Alister returns to normal soon after.

"We can't return to the city now. Our faces will already be posted all over the city by tomorrow. We're killers now, even if we did not do it." Manabu tells him while wiping the blood off of his blade.

He then puts it back in his sheath. Suddenly there is a light shining around them. They look up to the sky to see that the moons light is shining through the clouds, it soon disappears as quickly as it came. They find a small cave to hide inside for the night. They begin to fall asleep soon after.

"You have a gift Alister… you are the light in this dark world. You will use your light to bring those around you…" Model ZW tells Alister before he falls asleep.

End of Chapter 36


	38. Chapter 37: The Desert

Rockman ZW: Genesis

Chapter 37: The Desert

"Alister… Alister…" a voice calls to Alister while he opens his eyes.

He looks around the cave only to find Manabu watching the area. Alister scratches the back of his head before yawning as Manabu takes notice of him waking. While Alister rubs his eyes back and forth Manabu hands him some bread.

"Thanks." he says before eating away. Manabu nods his head before walking back to watch the city. After Alister finishes his short breakfast he joins Manabu in watching the city.

"It's hard to think… after all this time… I'm leaving the only place I knew to call home. I should be thanking you for that." speaks Manabu.

"How so?" questions Alister with a raised eyebrow.

"That place can be hell with four walls around it." Manabu replies while closing his eyes.

"I see…" mutters Alister while looking to the left.

"What are we going to do now Alister?" Manabu asks him.

"What?" Alister asks in return before Manabu opens his eyes to look at Alister.

"What will we do now? Where will we go?" Manabu continues to ask.

"I can only remember up to two days ago… you tell me." Alister replies with a sarcastic tone.

"There is another city in the east, although it will be a two day travel." Manabu says while walking back into the cave.

"Two days? Is that the closest city from here?" Alister asks while sitting down in front of him.

"It is. Unless we had some sort of transportation. Sadly… we are stuck walking." Manabu says.

"Shouldn't we start walking then? If it is a two day walk then we need to start now." Alister states.

"That is true, but I am more worried about the City Guard. I expected them to find us by now, but I have not seen a single unit since I have been awake." Manabu says while picking up his sword. Alister stands to his feet as they get ready to leave.

"Since you know the way… it's best that you lead Manabu." Alister says as Manabu nods. They leave the safety of the cave and begin to walk east. They walk nearly the entire day without running into the City Guard. As soon as they believe they are safe they spot an incoming vehicle.

"Looks like we will have to fight now." Manabu says while reaching for his sword before suddenly, Alister grabs his arm.

"Wait, I have an idea… just trust me on this." Alister tells him as the City Guard come closer. They stop their vehicle as Alister and Manabu watch them.

"Good afternoon you two. What are you doing in the desert?" the commanding officer asks as his troops take aim with their rifles.

"We don't really know… who are you?" asks Alister in a confused voice while Manabu soon catches on to his plan.

"Do you know where we are?" asks Manabu before the commanding officer holds up his right hand.

"Leave them alone, they are just Drifters. Let's continue with our search men!" he shouts as they follow him. They soon leave sight as Manabu digs in the sand next to his right foot. He pulls up his sword before dusting it off.

"That was very smart... but how did you know they would do that?" asks Manabu.

"Simple. It was dark last night in that alley, so I assumed the only thing they could make out about us was that one carried a sword. Since it was hidden on your foot in the sand, they would figure us to be Drifters." Alister explains as they start to walk again.

"I see… and if something were to happen I could have instantly used my sword in the cloud of sand… I'm impressed." Manabu tells him.

"Yeah well we're not out of this desert yet." Alister returns as they walk.

Time passes on and before too long they find themselves walking towards a road block. The City Guard is posted around the entire block.

"Sir we have sighted two Drifters in the distance. What should we do?" asks one of the guards. The commander takes his binoculars from him and takes a look for himself.

"Hmph. It would appear that we have found the two we have been looking for. One of them is carrying a sword, get ready men! You know what they did to our friends! Let's get some revenge!" he shouts as his men let out a shout.

"Alister! They're coming!" Model ZW tells him as Alister gets a serious look on his face suddenly.

"They know who we are Manabu! Get ready!" Alister tells him.

"Got it." Manabu says while drawing his sword. The City Guard begins to attack in their desert buggy's. They drive past Alister and Manabu as they both get the same idea. They nod at each other before lunging at the next buggy that drives near them. They kick out the driver and passenger, before driving through the road block.

"What the… after them men!" the commander yells as his men drive after them.

"Sir! Your ride is ready!" an officer tells his commander while saluting.

"It's about time." he scoffs while walking towards a helicopter. It is armed with many missiles and machine guns. He takes off in a hurry after the killers. They drive along the desert driving off of small hills. They land a bit rough while they continue.

"Hey! You sure this thing will hold together!?" asks Alister as he hangs on for his life.

"I know how to drive! You just tell me when they've caught up to us!" Manabu tells him while avoiding a cactus pile. Alister looks behind to see the City Guard right behind them.

"They're behind us now!" Alister shouts with a stressed look.

"Great! Take the wheel!" Manabu replies while letting go of the steering wheel. He moves to the back of the buggy as Alister hurries to take control. The City Guard start to fire their weapons at them. Manabu uses his sword to deflect the shots.

"Whoa…" Alister thinks while turning his head back to watch for a moment.

"Check to see if this buggy has grenades or something!" Alister shouts while driving over a hill. Manabu searches the buggy finding three grenades strapped onto a belt. He pulls the pin on one before throwing it at the nearest buggy. It drops inside under the driver. The guards take notice and jumps out while the buggy is still moving. Soon after it explodes taking out another buggy next to it.

"Good call." Manabu says while deflecting more bullets.

Alister drives over another hill that sends them flying through the air. As they land Manabu drops the two grenades that were in his hands. Two buggy's that were chasing them suddenly blow up on top of those grenades. Manabu smirks as he twirls the pins on his fingers.

"Are there more of them?" asks Alister while slowing down.

"Not that I can see…" Manabu says before hearing a helicopter. "Hard left!" he quickly yells as Alister turns left. As he swerves out of the way a missile hits the ground flipping them over due to the explosion. They roll out of the buggy as it flips over. The helicopter hovers in front of them as the commander of the City Guard opens the side door.

"Well that was an impressive run you gave us back there, but now I am afraid it is all over for you two. You will be taken back to the city where you will be brought before our leader." he tells them while they stand to their feet.

"And if we refuse?" asks Alister while favoring his left arm.

"You will be killed on the spot." he replies as some of his men jump out of the helicopter. They surround the two while taking aim.

"Hmph… do fools always use this formation? Or are you just that special?" Manabu smarts off.

"Alister… merge with me!" Model ZW tells Alister as he holds the Live Metal up in front of him.

"What is he doing…? Is he…?" the commander thinks to himself.

"Rock on!" Alister shouts as he is engulfed in light.

"Be careful men! He's one of those Rockman freaks!" the commander yells. The men open fire at Alister who jumps high into the air. They fire at him while he is in the air thinking he could not avoid. He begins to twist and turn in the air to avoid their bullets. In amazement they stop firing as he lands on one knee.

"Do you really want to continue?" he asks them. They begin to walk backwards as their commander begins to get upset.

"Don't be cowards! Kill him now!" the commander shouts while they try to jump Alister.

"Your mistake." he smirks before using an upper cut on one. He quickly follows with a sabot kick to another's stomach. Alister dashes towards two that are slowly walking towards him. He leaps between the two before kicking his feet into the air. His feet connect with the jaw of the one in front of him. Alister then spin kicks the other guard right after. As the two fall to the ground knocked out Alister continues to attack the guards. Manabu watches from the side as Alister takes out all of the City Guard by himself.

"Get us out of here pilot!" the commander yells at the pilot. The helicopter begins to take off as Alister snaps his head in that direction.

"So you're just going to leave your men behind!? You're a pitiful leader!" Manabu shouts.

"I'll be back to kill you two another time! Until then…" he says while taking notice of Alister.

"Shockwave!" Alister shouts while using his arm slashers to create a powerful wave of energy. The arrow shaped wave rushes towards the screaming commander as it rips right through the helicopter. While crashing behind a hill it gives off a powerful explosion. Alister returns to normal after flipping the buggy back over. Manabu gets in the driver seat as Alister climbs beside him. While driving away Manabu has something on his mind.

"He called you… Rockman?" asks Manabu.

"Rockman? Is that what I am?" asks Alister while looking at his hands.

"An odd name…" Manabu adds.

"But… for some reason… I know it fits me. So from now on… call me Black Rockman!" Alister tells him before putting his feet up on the dashboard.

"Black Rockman…? That's an even worse name…" Manabu tells him.

"Well if you don't like it come up with something better. Until then I like it." Alister snaps back.

End of Chapter 37


	39. Chapter 38: Mysterious Leo

Rockman ZW: Genesis

Chapter 38: Mysterious Leo

Manabu drives their jeep close to the next city before the two of them get out. They roll it behind some boulders before adding some extra camouflage with smaller rocks. They make it look like another rock formation before starting their walk towards the city. Realizing that he would stick out like a sore thumb, Manabu makes the choice to leave his katana with the jeep. They walk up to the gates but to their surprise not a soul is guarding the entrance.

"This is odd... normally there would be many guards aiming their weapons at us right now... but there nobody in sight." Alister points out.

"I agree. I have to say though… it is a nice change." Manabu says while walking forward as they open the gates to the city. Someone suddenly slams into Manabu's face as they crash to the ground.

"Ouch… that hurt…" he says while rubbing his chin. He looks to see who the attacker was and finds a man that looks older than him.

"Get out of my way!" he yells before Alister grabs his arm. He swings him around before slamming him into the city wall.

"If you want to go you will have to get through me thief." Alister tells him with a very stern voice. The man shrinks back as the Guards rush up to them. They push Alister to the side to get to the man before they force him to put his arms behind his back. A somewhat large sack drops out of his arms before Manabu picks it up.

"Money?" Manabu asks out loud.

"Yes, he was a thief. These guards were chasing him to get it back." the Captain says while walking up. He has piercing green eyes with some facial hair on his cheeks that is a black color. "My name is Captain Satio Tristan, of the City Guard here at City Nine. Thank you for stopping this thief." he adds while showing his respect.

"It was nothing." Alister replies as the Captain looks into his eyes. Alister does not turn away as the two of them continue to glare at each other. Suddenly he gets a smile on his face before clapping his hands together.

"Let these two men inside of our City. Give them a place to stay for the night and treat them right." Captain Satio orders his men.

"There is no need for that, we were just passing through." Manabu speaks up as the Guards take aim.

"No, I insist." Captain Satio adds as Alister walks up next to Manabu before putting his left hand on Manabu's right shoulder.

"It's alright Manabu, we should go with them." Alister tells him before walking into the city. Manabu follows him close behind as the City Guard walk them through the gates.

"Could they be the ones?" Captain Satio thinks to himself as he takes up the rear.

The City Guard lead them to a somewhat large house. While walking inside they take notice of the surrounding area, which is nothing at all like City Four. This City was actually taken care of. The doors close behind them while Captain Satio walks past them. They look at the large home which has a second story to it. The stairs are in front of them, one on the left, one on the right. All of the Guards leave the house as Satio stands in front of them with his hat off. He has slick black hair with a grey stripe on each side.

"Welcome to my home, Rockman and Manabu." he greets while they are in shock.

"How do you know my name?" asks Manabu.

"More importantly… what about Rockman?" adds Alister.

"Do not worry, you are among friends now. I know all about your small adventure through the desert. I also know the you took out the City Guard of City Four all by yourself Rockman. I would like to know your name however." he says while walking up to Alister. He extends his right hand as Alister looks him in the eyes.

"My name is Alister Storm, sir." Alister replies as they shake hands.

"Please do not call me sir, I am only thirty years old. Calling me Satio will be just fine." he replies while shaking Manabu's hand as well.

"If you know who we are… then why take us in without hesitation?" questions Manabu.

"I assure you my intentions are not evil. I actually wish to help you." he replies while walking away. Alister and Manabu look at each other before he turns around.

"Well you will need to follow me if you want me to explain." Satio shouts from the hallway. The two of them quickly follow behind him. He leads them into a room that has a desk and a few chairs next to it. Alister begins to watch a dark area behind Satio's desk.

"Please have a seat." he tells them while sitting behind his desk. The two of them sit down as he watches them.

"I assume you have been able to use your Live Metal, Model ZW?" he asks Alister.

"How do you know so much about me?" Alister returns.

"This world as it is now… is not correct. It is as if someone reached into Tera and arranged it to their desire. Because of this arrangement people have lost their way. They are what we call Drifters. These people lost their memory, simply because someone wanted that to happen." explains Satio.

"Someone wanted it to happen? How can that be?" asks Manabu.

"I am not sure of this myself. I do know the one that sits before me is none other than Black Rockman, the eternal light that destroys all evil. I am on your side if you trust me or not." Satio says while leaning forward.

"I trust you Satio." Alister says while Manabu snaps his head towards him.

"Are you crazy? How can you tell he won't betray us?" Manabu asks him.

"That moment we glared into each others eyes… something told me that he is a friend, that we could trust him. I don't know how to explain it… I normally go with my first gut feeling. This time will not be any different… that it will not." Alister replies as Satio smiles at his response.

"You two are welcome to stay as long as time allows you. You are very welcome here at my home. If I was to make one suggestion, it would to not bring attention to yourselves while staying here. There are those in this City that would turn you over to the Tera Knights in an instant." Satio tells them.

"Who are the Tera Knights?" asks Manabu.

"The Tera Knights are the ones who rule this world of wastelands." someone speaks from behind Satio. Manabu nearly jumps out of his seat while Alister calmly looks towards him. He walks out of the shadows to reveal himself as the one who saved Alister and Manabu that one night. He has his cape wrapped around him at the moment as he stands next to Satio.

"Who is this guy?" Manabu asks.

"My name is Leo. As Alister already knows I was the one who saved you two the other night. I'm impressed... although Alister's abilities have not yet fully returned to him, he can still use a portion of those abilities without knowing it." Leo says while watching Alister. Leo opens his cape while holding out his right arm. Suddenly Model ZW flies across the room and lands in his hand.

"How did you do that?" Alister asks him.

"Wouldn't you like to know… so this is Model ZW I take it?" he asks Alister.

"Correct." Alister replies. Leo looks it over before Model ZW glows a bit. Suddenly Leo tosses it back to Alister while closing his cape again.

"I must take my leave now. I will be back in two days, have them ready by then if you would my friend." Leo says while walking out of the room. Alister tries to follow but Leo just vanishes without a trace.

"Don't be alarmed by him, he is a powerful ally that you must trust. Because in two days you will be traveling with him for awhile." Satio tells them.

"What? So our minds are now being made up for us?" Manabu snaps at Satio.

"You two are very special, and he knows this. Manabu, you wish to be stronger with your sword, Leo is going to teach you. Alister, although you are not fully aware you are still very skilled. Leo is going to help you in understanding yourself and that Live Metal beside you. You must trust Leo no matter what, even if things look bad he is your ally. Please remember those words... but for now I grow tired… good day to you two." he says before the door opens behind them. Two maids walk in as they turn around.

"You called Master?" they ask.

"Please make Alister and Manabu feel at home here." Satio tells them.

"Yes sir." they reply. One with brown hair walks off with Alister, while the other with red hair walks off with Manabu.

"I hope those two will be ready…" Satio thinks to himself while taking a sip from a water bottle under his desk.

End of Chapter 38


	40. Chapter 39: The Bandit Camp

Rockman ZW: Genesis

Chapter 39: The Bandit Camp

Alister suddenly wakes to find the maid that helped him before opening the curtains of his room. For a brief moment he gathers his thoughts while scratching his head. He almost laughs due to the fact that she has no idea that he is awake already. As a chuckle does slip out the maid instantly twirls around with a surprised look.

"Oh I'm sorry! I didn't mean to wake you!" she panics while Alister gets out of bed.

"Don't worry about it, I guess I needed to get up anyways... where is Satio at?" asks Alister while putting his shirt on.

"Master Satio is out at the moment. He did mention he would be back later though…" she replies while he walks to the door.

"Thank you miss." he tells her before shutting the door. As he walks down the hallway filled with pictures of family members and weapons he looks out one of the windows there. The street is right outside of the window, as all he can do is watch the clouds in the sky. How they sometimes change from a normal color to dark red. Some people walk past the window without giving him even a first glance.

"Leo… just who is he?" Alister thinks to himself before Manabu walks up next to him and watches the streets with him.

"Sleep well?" asks Manabu.

"Not bad. It might have been better if the maid didn't come in to check if I was still there every hour or so." Alister replies while taking notice of the maids peeking around the corner.

"So you go that too? I thought it was just me." Manabu says before turning around to lean up against the wall.

"Have you thought about anything that Satio mentioned yesterday?" questions Alister.

"I have. Even though I just heard about it… it feels like I've known this already." Manabu replies.

"It's odd that you say that… I feel the same way. I have no idea why…" Alister says while looking at the sky. As the time passes by the two of them watch out of the window. Many more kids run past the window while playing around.

"Excuse me." the maid with red hair speaks up before Alister and Manabu turn to her.

"Can we do anything for you?" Manabu asks while putting his hands in his pockets.

"You have it backwards. We are suppose to be asking you that. You're lunch is ready, if you will please follow me." she tells them as their stomachs begin to growl.

"Good timing." Alister laughs with a stressed look on his face. While sitting down the maids bring a large platter and set it down in front of them. As the maid lifts the lid the smell of a home cooked meal nearly has them drooling. Both of them have before them a nice slow roasted turkey. They waste no time before digging in.

"They certainly have no issues in eating fast do they?" one of the maids ask another with a stressed face. The other one laughs as a scream is heard from the outside of the house. Alister and Manabu jump out of their seats before running out into the streets. They find a group of people with weapons in a circle. When they get closer they find that the circle of people is beating up on one guy who is lying in a pool of blood at the moment.

"Ha! Not much of a fighter are you? We're wasting our time with you!" the attacker shouts as he lifts his staff high into the air. When he goes to swing it his staff disappears.

"What the…" he panics while turning around. He finds Alister swinging the staff right at him, breaking the man's jaw instantly.

"My jaw!" the man screams in pain as the circle of men grows angry. Alister hands Manabu the staff as he gets to his back.

"If you guys want to gang up on people then try us!" Alister yells at them while Manabu grins.

"You should have stayed out of this!" another man shouts at them before lunging forward with a sword. Alister lifts his foot into the air and comes crashing down on the man's blade. His attack breaks the sword in two as Manabu back kicks the man. He flies into the crowd of angry men. They charge in all at the same time. Alister ducks as Manabu swings the staff around. He knocks a lot of them to the ground before a group of three grab the staff and keep Manabu from using it further. Alister takes notice to this and jumps onto the staff, before running along it to slide into the group. Suddenly he is grabbed from all sides, along with Manabu. They are thrown into the middle as everyone jumps them. As they are being pinned down there is a sudden burst of light that throws everyone back. As Manabu looks around to see what was going on he finds Alister standing there as Black Rockman.

"Alister no!" he shouts while holding his hand out towards Alister.

"He's one of those Rockman freaks! Run!" they shout in fear while running away, but Alister runs past all of them. He stands in front of them with his arms to his sides.

"Care for another match?" he asks them while cracking his knuckles. Everything suddenly stops when they all hear a gunshot from behind. Captain Satio stands there with his pistol in the air and a not so happy face.

"All of you had better stop this right now! Get out of here bandits!" he yells as they run away. Alister returns to normal before walking up to Satio.

"Now what could have caused you to transform in the middle of the day?" Satio asks him while putting his pistol away. He then takes notice of the man lying in a pool of blood.

"They were beating that man to death, we stepped in to help." Manabu answers him while walking up.

"Those men are outlaws… bandits." Satio tells them while putting his left hand under his chin. He thinks for a moment before motioning them to follow him. He leads them into his house and into the backyard. He inputs a five digit code into a keypad on his tool shed. As they step inside they are instantly transported somewhere else.

"That was odd…" Alister speaks while holding his head.

"Welcome to my command center." Satio says while the lights turn on. There are monitors everywhere with at least three control panels under each monitor. There is a lower part of the command center in the middle with more computers and desks there. Satio walks to the middle and stands in front of the desks.

"What is this place?" Manabu asks in awe.

"This is my own secret command center that only Leo and myself know of. You two are the first to enter this place. Over the years Leo has helped me gather the technology needed to maintain this center. This is the most advanced command center in the world." Satio tells them.

"Why bring us here?" asks Alister while walking down towards him.

"I have a request of you two." Satio replies while starting to type on a keyboard. The main monitor shows a small area outside of the city. It is showing a large group of tents around a small mountain. There are many people outside of them guarding the area with sniper rifles.

"What is this suppose to be? The main camp of those bandits?" Alister asks while watching.

"Correct. Lately these bandits have become a real problem. They started out with just stealing food from time to time so they could stay alive. They had no weapons to begin with. Although lately they have shown up demanding more than food. They now demand freedom from the current rulers and will beat to death whoever supports the current rulers. If you hadn't of stopped them today there is no telling what they would have done." Satio explains to them.

"I get the feeling you want us to go after them now?" Manabu asks while closing his eyes.

"Normally, I would not ask you two for help. It is not right of me to do so... however… I have no choice. The ruler of this city is Shisho. His daughter was recently kidnapped by those bandits. They said that if they don't get the freedom they deserve within a week, she will die. Tonight is that deadline." he tells them.

"I see…" Alister says while thinking.

"So you want us to go into bandit territory, with snipers, and most likely traps to save a girl?" Manabu asks him.

"Correct. Of course this would go in your favor to get on the rulers good side." Satio replies.

"I accept the mission, but on one condition." he tells Satio.

"Name it." Satio responds.

"If this girl is cute, I will want to take her out on a date to make up for those bandits treating her wrongly." Alister says before smiling.

"Fair enough." laughs Satio as Manabu has another stressed look on his face. Satio walks up the stairs before accessing a panel on the wall. The wall slides back revealing weapons behind it.

"I don't need any guns." Alister tells him.

"I am aware of this, but I wanted to show you these." Satio says while pointing towards discs that are hanging up on the wall.

"What are they?" asks Manabu.

"These are Teleportation Disks. They are for one time use only. You throw one down to activate it and it will instantly transport you back here. You will need these on your mission." Satio says while handing Alister two and Manabu one.

"Thanks, we will get right on the mission." Alister says while walking away. Satio stops Manabu by grabbing his shoulder.

"Wait Manabu, I wanted to give you something. I noticed you have the hands of someone who carries a sword, so I prepared something for you." he tells him before reaching in the back of the armory. He pulls out something that looks like the handle of a sword.

"What is it?" asks Manabu while looking it over.

"It is a beam saber." Satio replies as Manabu takes notice of two grips at the bottom. He grips with his right hand as the saber extends.

"This is one of the most powerful weapons here, and I want you to have it. It is shaped like a katana blade to suite you." Satio tells him while Manabu releases his grip. The blade goes down while Manabu looks at him.

"Thank you Satio." he says while shaking his hand.

"The mission will begin as soon as you exit the city. Be careful you two, although I am sure you won't have any trouble." Satio says with a smile. He pulls a lever as they suddenly appear outside of the city.

"I wish he would warn us about that first!" Alister shouts as Manabu laughs.

"Let's get started then. All we have to do is look for that mountain right?" Manabu asks while looking around.

"I think we should head this way." Alister says while pointing towards a sand storm.

"Are you crazy? Why would they be inside of the sand storm?" Manabu questions while the wind picks up.

"To keep outsiders on the outside of course. We need to start moving right away. We have to get there before the night does." Alister suggests.

"You're right..." Manabu replies as they start walking. Before too long they end up coming across land mines.

"We're going to be watched from here on. We have to be careful." Manabu says while stepping over a land mine.

"One of them just spotted a land mine boss. These two don't really look like they're heading in this direction… I'll continue to watch them." a bandit reports while watching Alister and Manabu. He quickly adjusts his sights on the sniper rifle before continuing to watch them. He is wearing a heavy face mask with no goggles on. He wears a helmet that looks like a samurai helmet, only with a guard for the back of his neck. He is a sand color.

"Alright. If they get any closer, kill them." his boss reports over the com.

"I got it." the sniper replies. Manabu stops for a moment while looking around. The wind gets faster and faster by the minute.

"The winds here suck... let's try going this way." Alister suggests as they begin to walk towards the location of the sniper.

"Target sighted. Firing." the sniper speaks into the com. He pulls the trigger as a blast is shot from the barrel.

"What was that?" Alister asks while looking around. He throws Manabu to the ground while throwing himself to the ground. An energy beam shoots directly over their heads. That blast was big enough to kill them both in one shot.

"At least we know what direction their camp is!" Manabu shouts as the sniper's eyes open wide.

"Boss these two are looking for our camp! What should I do? They know where I…" the sniper says before Alister pulls the com device out of his ear.

"So if we keep going this way… we'll get to your camp?" Alister asks him as the sniper just smirks at him.

"You won't talk huh?" Manabu asks while picking up the sniper rifle. He takes out the saber that Satio gave him before and grips the handle. As the energy saber extends he cuts through the sniper rifle. He holds it close to the snipers neck before he snaps.

"Keep going… you'll find them." he answers while Manabu puts his saber away. Alister knocks him out from behind with a fierce karate chop to his neck. Alister then sits him up against a rock with his helmet tilted forward.

"Let's keep moving." Manabu says while taking notice that they are losing time. Time passes by as they reach a cliff. They look over the cliff to find the small mountain in the distance. There are many tents camped out in front. They look closer to spot snipers camped along the mountains paths.

"I have an idea." Alister speaks up. "But it will be dangerous." he adds.

"Let's hear it." Manabu says while continuing to watch.

"They know that we're coming. So how about I run out into the front line and take most of their strength?" Alister asks.

"I get it. While you have them distracted, I will sneak inside and take on the smaller faction... but which tent do I rush into first?" Manabu asks him. Alister points to a tent not being guarded at the moment.

"The largest one. Every other tent is being guarded at the moment. Either they are trying to throw us off or she's really not in that tent. That's my plan." Alister tells him.

"I'll trust your plan. You did well before, this one should not be any different." Manabu replies while moving away from him.

"Let's get started, Model ZW!" speaks Alister before he climbs down the cliff. The bandits begin to take notice of him walking towards their camp. He appears out of the darkness slowly walking towards them. All of the bandits there are wearing a full face mask with the same helmet as the sniper. Their clothes are black however.

"Is he trying to be some sort of hero? That idiot! Kill him!" one bandit shouts to the others. As they open fire Alister smirks before holding Model ZW in front of him.

"Rock on!" he shouts as a light briefly blinds the bandits. As they regain their sight, Alister is still slowly walking towards them.

"So they sent a Rockman after us?! He has to DIE!!" one man screams as Alister rushes towards him. The bullets and laser beams rush past him by the second.

"What is this…? They're just bandits… why do they have such powerful and advanced equipment?" Alister thinks to himself while beating down a bandit. Manabu finds the chance to slip inside of the unguarded tent. When he gets inside he meets with a few guards. Manabu quickly slashes through their weapons before knocking them all out. He finds the girl tied to a pole in the middle of the tent.

"How cliché." he mutters before rushing to help her. She has long brown hair and teal colored eyes. She is wearing a pearl white colored dress that reaches below her knees. She has tears in her eyes at the moment. Her mouth is covered by some cloth tied around her head. Manabu runs up next to her and cuts through the ropes holding her. He then takes the cloth off.

"Get out of here!" she screams at him before Manabu pushes her out of the way. He leaps out of the way as well before a large man from behind fires his rifle.

"I'm impressed." the man starts. Manabu turns around to see that his foe is like a small tower, well built for sure. He is wearing a white unbuttoned coat with red inside. He wears pants that are kept tied with rope around his waste. He has long black hair and piercing green eyes.

"Who are you?" Manabu asks him.

"I am the leader of the bandits you see outside. You may call me Makato Ranpu." he names himself.

"I am Manabu Kaze. I will be taking her now. Don't stand in my way or you will get hurt." Manabu tells him while walking towards the exit. Makato walks in front of them drawing his saber.

"You are a swordsman?" asks Manabu.

"Correct. I assume you're one as well?" Makato questions.

"I am." Manabu replies.

"Splendid! How about we make a deal then? If you win you can go free. If I win you and your distraction outside will join us." Makato says as he holds his hand towards Manabu.

"I'll agree to those terms on one condition. If I happen to lose, she is sent home unharmed." Manabu tells him. The girl snaps her head towards Manabu in somewhat of a shock.

"Don't do this for me…" she tells him. Manabu just smirks as Makato throws his coat aside. He's wearing a full samurai outfit.

"I agree. If you lose she will not be harmed at all. You have my word as a swordsman." Makato replies.

"This looks like it may be fun to watch." Alister suddenly speaks up from behind the man. Makato quickly turns around to see a Rockman standing there.

"Are all of my men dead?!" Makato panics.

"No, I don't kill. They are all sleeping peacefully right now. I will not interfere with your battle, please continue." Alister tells him before returning to normal while walking over to Manabu. Manabu lets go of the girl before drawing his own saber. Alister moves to the side with her next to him. The two swordsmen walk out into the middle and get ready to face the other.

"He's tall for sure... somewhat muscle bound as well… but if he is that big he must be really powerful but really slow. If I can just focus on that aspect… I can pull through this." Manabu thinks to himself. He rushes towards the man before clashing sabers with him. Makato swings heavily to the side as Manabu ducks to avoid.

"I have you now!" Manabu shouts suddenly while thrusting forward.

"Don't take me so lightly!" Makato shouts back before quickly blocking his attack. He then thrusts forward throwing Manabu backwards. He slams into the pillar behind.

"I may be a very large man but don't think I'm slow because of it! Now since that is out of the way we can fight!" Makato tells him while getting into a stance. Manabu stands to his feet while glaring at Makato. He then rushes him with his saber to his left side. Makato scoffs at this before blocking his attack. He then disappears in front of Manabu.

"What?!" Manabu panics while looking around. He finds Makato standing on the other side of the tent with a smile on his face.

"He's fast, I've never seen anyone move like that before. I hope Manabu can somehow pull this off." Alister thinks while watching Manabu.

"Do you want to give up now boy? At your level you can't defeat me. I have spent many years mastering the ways of the samurai. I have mastered nearly ever technique that there is. How can a novice defeat a master?!" Makato shouts before dashing forward. His speed is so great that he leaves a trail in the ground.

"He's coming Manabu!" Alister shouts to him.

"Get ready boy!" Makato yells while thrusting forwards.

End of Chapter 39


	41. Chapter 40: Clash!

Rockman ZW: Genesis

Chapter 40: Clash!

Manabu dodges to his right attempting to avoid injury. Makato suddenly dashes to his left, catching up on Manabu in an instant. He thrusts forwards only to have Manabu's right foot crash into his face. Makato jumps backwards while smirking.

"Impressive boy, not many can stop my attacks." taunts Makato.

"You're full of yourself, let's continue." Manabu replies.

"It's not that I'm full of myself. Think of it as…" Makato starts before dashing forwards again. "Think of it as confidence boy!" he shouts before piercing Manabu's left shoulder. Makato jumps back again with his saber ready. Alister starts to run over towards Manabu who suddenly motions for him not to come any closer.

"This… is my fight! I will finish it without anyone getting in the way!" Manabu shouts to him.

"Manabu… I understand." Alister replies before walking back to the girl.

"I respect that. Even though you are not very skilled with the saber you still choose to fight with honor. You'd make a very skilled samurai one day." Makato tells him.

"Spare me this conversation… let's go!" Manabu shouts while charging forward. This time his speed is increased shocking everyone there. As he thrusts forward Makato moves out of the way, appearing on the other side of the tent. Manabu is suddenly directly behind him slashing wildly.

"Impossible!" thinks Makato as he blocks the attacks. He pushes Manabu back while recovering from his attacks.

"What's wrong?" Manabu asks him before dashing forwards once again. Makato dashes forwards as well. The two of them clash in the middle of the tent. Blocking the others attack with ease.

"This kid… how is he doing this? Still… I cannot afford to lose!" Makato thinks to himself. He then knocks Manabu up into the air before appearing in front of him.

"Ultimate Technique!! Heaven's Blade!!" Makato shouts before all Alister could see was Manabu being attacked from all sides at the same time. He then falls to the ground motionless as Alister rushes to his side.

"Manabu! Hey can you hear me?!" Alister asks him while shaking him.

"He's not dead, merely knocked out due to all of the injuries." Makato tells him while walking up.

"Will he survive the wounds?" questions Alister.

"He will need medical attention of course, nothing my men cannot handle." Makato replies.

"I am afraid I can not allow that." a voice speaks from the distance. Suddenly Leo appears from above standing behind Alister.

"Who are you suppose to be?" asks Makato as Leo throws his cape behind him.

"My name is not important. I cannot allow you to take these two men under your care. Although I know you would take care of them, indeed you would… they have already been committed to me. I am a man of honor myself… if you would rather challenge me for their rights…" Leo challenges.

"Interesting. I accept your challenge stranger." Makato replies with a smile. Alister hurries to take Manabu away from the fight that is about to happen.

"I should warn you… this fight will be over in less than thirty seconds." Leo warns Makato.

"Hmph… we will see about that my friend." Makato scoffs while getting into position.

"Leo… who is he?" Alister asks himself.

"I am curious as well…" Model ZW speaks up.

"Oh? Why is that?" Alister asks Model ZW.

"The day he touched me… something happened to both of us. I'm not sure just yet…" Model ZW replies. Alister looks forward as the fight begins. Makato thrusts forward towards Leo attempting to catch him off guard. Leo moves his body to the right barely avoiding the thrust.

"Heaven's Blade!!" Leo suddenly shouts catching Makato off guard. As he falls to the ground barely hurt from the attack. He still finds it hard to move.

"What… was that?! How do you know that technique?!" Makato questions him while attempting to stand.

"Not even five seconds went by. The Heaven's Blade… a truly magnificent attack. It combines destruction with overwhelming speed in one attack. This attack deals damage to basically ever part of your body in an instant. You are a very skilled swordsman Makato Ranpu. Only a few have been able to master this skill as you have. You are an honorable person." Leo says before his arm slashers are set back in place.

"Amazing…" Alister thinks to himself.

"A deal is a deal. Take them." Makato says while standing to his feet. He then walks away while disappearing into the darkness of the tent. Leo walks over to the girl before extending his hand.

"Excuse me fair lady, may I do the honors?" he asks her before she walks forward and grabs his hand. Leo then picks her up and holds her in his arms.

"Alister, deploy the transportation disks. Let's get out of this place." Leo tells him.

"Got it." he replies while reaching into his pocket.

He takes one from Manabu's pocket as well. He activates them before Leo steps onto one, Alister picks up Manabu and steps on the other disk. As they disappear the disks self-destruct. Satio is waiting patiently in the command room as two lights appear next to the armory. They step out of the light as Satio runs up to them.

"Mission complete I take it?" he asks before taking notice of Manabu's condition.

"What happened?" he asks them.

"Manabu risked his life to save Lady Misao. He will be fine, he just needs some minor medical attention. I shall escort Lady Misao back to the castle for you. I will inform her father of their actions as well." Leo replies before walking about of the command center. As time passes by Manabu wakes to find Satio tending to his injuries.

"What happened?" Manabu questions while sitting up. A quick pain racing through his shoulder forces him back down.

"Calm down. Your left shoulder took a nasty hit. Otherwise you're just fine." Satio tells him.

"I see. Is the girl alright?" asks Manabu.

"She's just fine, Leo showed up and saved us." Alister replies to his question while walking up.

"I'm sorry I missed watching Leo fight." Manabu speaks before sitting up again.

"This wound on your shoulder is not as bad as I thought it to be. It should heal in less than two days actually." Satio tells him.

"How is that possible? He got me with a clean hit!" Manabu raises his voice.

"Clean does not even begin to describe it Manabu. His attack was so clean, that it only went through some minor muscles in your shoulder. It's as if he never cut you at all." Satio tells him.

"Then why did he feel such pain at first and now?" asks Alister.

"Well a cut is a cut after all. Whoever did this did not want to hurt Manabu. He must have been extremely skilled to have done this. Unless it was just a fluke…" Satio replies with a short laugh.

"I don't think so… but if that is the case… how strong does that make Leo…?" Alister thinks to himself before the command centers door opens. Leo walks in suddenly with his cape wrapped around him.

"Ah… you're up I see. I have come here to escort you two." Leo tells them.

"To what?" asks Manabu.

"Why, to see the Ruler of this land of course. He is eager to meet the other two men that helped save his daughter. This meeting is very important to the future so I suggest you hurry and get ready." Leo tells them before leaving. He stands outside of the command center up against the wall. Soon after the two of them leave the command center.

"We're ready Leo." Alister speaks up.

"Excellent. Let us be on our way then." Leo responds.

As they make their way down the streets of the city, people seem to stop and watch them. Some of them cheer for the three while others wave while smiling. As they near the huge castle there is a man outside waiting for them. He is wearing a purple robe and has dark red hair that reaches below his shoulders. He is wearing a white shirt on the inside of the robe with white pants. His boots are white as well. He has the same color eyes as his daughter. He has a red mustache on his face. With the man is many guards wearing knights armor. Right next to the man is Lady Misao.

"He must be the ruler of this city. Shisho…" Alister mutters to himself. The man walks closer to them, as does his guards. Misao follows her father.

"Let me just say thank you for rescuing my daughter! So these are the two that helped you, Sir Leo?" asks Shisho.

"Correct. Although I showed up late these two did most of the work." Leo replies while bowing. Alister and Manabu bow as well to show their respect.

"There is no need for that. In my eyes you do not need to bow to me. I am the one who will be bowing today." Shisho tells them as he bows to them.

"You three are honorary members of this city from this day. Please, won't you come in for dinner? I haven't prepared the workers for it yet but I am sure they will be happy to fix dinner." Shisho asks them.

"We must decline. We are leaving this city now." Leo replies to him.

"I see… then I must give you three a gift." Shisho tells him as a knight walks up next to him. In his arms is a very heavy looking bag. The knight hands it to Leo who opens it to see what is inside.

"I thank you, Shisho." Leo says while bowing.

"Be careful on your journey. The city is a safe place… outside of its walls… I cannot promise you will live." Shisho warns them.

"We are aware of that fact." Manabu speaks up.

"Then go with my blessings." Shisho tells them.

"Mine as well." Misao speaks up as she walks up to them. She takes their hands one at a time and kisses them. She stops at Manabu and kisses him on his cheek instead of his hand.

"I thank you most of all, the one who risked his life for my own." she says while blushing. Manabu blushes as well.

"Oh boy…" Alister says while having a stressed look on his face. A few moments later they are walking away from the city. Leo hands the large bag to Manabu who drops it right away.

"How heavy is this thing?!" he struggles to asks as Alister laughs.

"That is our food for this journey. It would be wise to not get it dirty since I asked Shisho to prepare it for us." Leo replies before taking it back from him.

"Where are we heading Leo?" Alister asks.

"Even though you two do not realize it yourselves… you are the hope for this world. I will train you myself, so you will be ready to face the evil of the times." Leo replies.

"You sound just like this Model ZW in my pocket." Alister returns with another stressed look on his face.

End of Chapter 40


	42. Chapter 41: The Journey Begins

Rockman ZW: Genesis

Chapter 41: The Journey Begins: The Beautiful Thorns of The Desert

After leaving the city the three walked across desert non-stop for nearly half a day. They stopped when it was night then resumed after getting a nights rest. At the first sign of day break through the clouds they resume their walking.

"Leo… may I ask you a question?" Alister asks before taking a drink from his canteen.

"I will do my best to answer." Leo replies.

"Where are we going?" he asks as Leo seems to laugh a bit.

"It took half a day of walking for one of you to finally ask me this. Do you two really trust me that much?" he asks them while stopping.

"You haven't given us a reason otherwise." Manabu answers.

"I'm normally pretty good at telling who is good and who is bad." Alister tells him.

"I see. We are going to a location that only I know about. This is a secret training ground that I created myself. If all goes according to plan we will arrive there in a few days." Leo answers his question before starting to walk again.

The sand around them is a darker color than normal. There are many jagged rocks sticking out of the ground nearby as well. Some of them reach high above their heads while walking past them. Alister takes notice to something holding onto one of the rocks. It quickly moves out of sight before he could get a second glance at it. He moves closer to Leo as he looks around.

"Leo." Alister whispers to him.

"I know. They've been following us ever since we neared these rocks. They will be attacking very soon. Alert Manabu of this as well." Leo whispers in return. He nods to reply before walking slow to let Manabu catch up with him.

"What's wrong?" Manabu asks with a curious look on his face.

"Someone or a group is following us along the rocks. Don't look directly at them. Leo says that he is sure they will attack soon so be ready." Alister tells him before walking ahead.

"I see…" Manabu thinks to himself.

He puts his hands in his pockets to be near the saber on his hilt. They continue to walk for some time before they finally hear a group of rocks rolling down the slope of the highest rock directly above them.

"Now!" Leo shouts before jumping above them.

Leo also drops their food for the moment. Alister quickly leaps into the air and jump kicks off of the rock. He kicks one of the attackers out of the air before Leo does the same from above. The last attacker wearing a black ninja suit sneaks up behind Manabu who draws his saber on him.

"Do you really want to chance this?" Manabu asks him as Leo and Alister walk up behind him. Scared out of his wits the attacker runs for his life in the other direction. Leo takes notice of Alister looking at his hands which are shaking at the moment.

"How did I… know how to do that?" he asks himself.

"I see, so he is already starting." Leo thinks to himself. "So then… what about the other one?" he continues his thoughts while looking at Manabu.

Alister soon walks over to the men knocked out only to find out they are both girls. They are wearing masks that cover their entire head and face. Their clothes look like that of a normal bandit. The only difference is the crest that is on their chest. It looks like a fairy with thorns wrapped around it. One of them wakes up taking notice of Alister standing over her. She instantly flips over nearing hitting Alister with her feet. Alister back flips to avoid her attack.

"What do you think you're doing creep?!" she snarls at him.

"What do I think I'm doing? I could ask you the same thing miss. We didn't do anything wrong yet you attacked us for no reason at all." Alister states.

"We mean you no harm. Please tell us why you attacked." Leo says while walking up to her. The girl looks to the side before looking at her friend on the ground next to her.

"We needed money… anything that travelers carry is normally valuable." she replies while sitting down next to her friend.

"I see. So you are thieves? Or do you have another reason in mind?" Leo asks her.

"What?!" the girl snaps back.

"I meant no harm by that comment. You don't seem to be the type that would steal for laughs however. Is there another motivation you have?" he asks her.

"Well… yes there is." she replies.

"What is that crest?" Alister asks her.

"Please Alister, don't overwhelm her with too many questions at the same time. Please go on to explaining miss." Leo says to her while kneeling down in front of her.

"It started a couple of months ago. A gang of desert bandits showed up and started hassling all of my town. We're only a small town to the east of here with only women and children. Our husbands were killed years ago so we have always been able to take care of ourselves since then. The bandits showed up and started taking woman away to be their slaves. We had enough one day so we offered them money and our possessions to them." the girl explains.

"So in return they would leave you and your town alone." Manabu steps in.

"Yes that's right. This crest that we carry is our vow. It is a symbol to everyone in my town that we will survive no matter what the cost is. Even if we have to kill…" she says while the other girl wakes. She panics before backing up into the rock behind them.

"Don't be alarmed. We mean you no harm." Leo assures her.

"My name is Lariat, this is June." the one explaining everything speaks up.

"I am Leo, this is Alister and Manabu." Leo greets while introducing the other two as well.

"One of your friends ran off because Manabu intimidated her with that saber of his." Alister points out.

"Well she was about to jump me from behind." Manabu sticks up for himself.

"What is the name of your crest?" Leo asks Lariat.

"I'm sorry… I cannot share that with an outsider." she replies while standing to her feet.

"I understand. Well then, we must be going now." Leo responds while picking up the bag of food nearby. Alister and Manabu turn their back to start walking as well.

"Not so fast…" June mutters to herself before throwing two darts.

One hits Alister in the neck while the other hits Manabu in his shoulder. Lariat throws one at Leo but he catches it without even looking. Both Lariat and June are shocked by this.

"Tell me… do you really want us to return with you that badly?" Leo asks them.

"I'm sorry… it has to be this way." Lariat replies to him.

"Very well, I will go with you. I have to watch after these two after all." Leo tells her.

"If you had intentions of coming with us in the first place… why didn't you just let us put you to sleep?" June asks him.

"I do not like to fall asleep by force… that I don't. Sleep is something that is peaceful… it is wrong to be forced to sleep." Leo responds. Silent for a moment, they think about his words.

"Let go back home June." Lariat commands her.

"Right." she replies.

"So she must be her leader… that would make her the leader of the small town she mentioned before…" Leo thinks while taking notice that they are starting to pick up Alister and Manabu. "I will carry them." Leo tells them while picking the two up. He places them on his shoulders with the food as well.

"Is he for real?" Lariat thinks to herself before reaching into a pocket inside of her shirt.

She pulls out a small device with two buttons on it, both of them the same color. She presses the one on the left. They wait for five minutes before the sand around them begins to kick up. Leo looks to the sky to see a hover jet getting ready to land. It lands outside of the jagged rocks as the engines continue to run. It is a slick looking hover jet with two engines on each side. The tail has three engines as well. It is a dark blue color. Lariat opens the sliding door for Leo. He walks up to it and puts his load down.

"It doesn't even seem like he's tired after carrying them. This man could easily take all of us out without help." Lariat thinks to herself. "Take off!" she commands the pilot. The pilot gives her a thumbs up before the jet rises into the air. The engines rotate fast as they are now on their way.

"So… shall we be heading into a valley of flowers? Or are we on our way to the thorn bush?" Leo thinks to himself while watching outside of the jet.

"The sleeping effect will wear off any moment now. Please put these on your men." Lariat tells Leo while throwing some rope to him. He looks the rope over closely before throwing it back to her.

"They would be able to break out of those with ease. You would be better off letting me handle them." Leo tells her as the two of them wake up.

"Are you trying to get smart with me? I should kill you right now!" she shouts at him.

"I meant no harm I assure you miss Lariat. These two are not as normal as you have labeled them to be. I will make sure they do not resist, you have my word." Leo speaks while nodding his head to her.

"Don't take us so lightly!" June snaps at him before holding a kunai to his neck.

"June stop this right now!" Lariat shouts to her.

"All he is doing is making a mockery of us! We should deal with him right now!" June argues with her. At that time Alister and Manabu finally realize what is going on.

"Leo!" they shout as June gets closer with the kunai. Lariat grabs June by the back of her shirt and throws her across the jet.

"Please don't harm her. She was only protecting what she believes in." Leo tells her. Suddenly June's sleeves are cut off, making it look like she's wearing a t-shirt now.

"Wha?!" June panics while looking at Leo.

"It didn't even look like he moved! Even so… he managed to get this close to June! Just who is he?!" Lariat asks herself while Leo explains to Alister and Manabu.

"Is that understood? Unless your life is in danger do not act against them." Leo commands them.

"I'm sure you have your reasons… so I will do as they say." Alister replies.

Manabu does not reply, he only grunts. Soon they reach the small town to the east of their last position. Lariat opens the sliding door as they land. The three walk out to see a broken down town. Looking like it was on its last leg to stay maintained. Women and children peek out of their homes to see the latest in their supplies. Most of them are shocked to see them without rope around them. The women who are wearing the same clothes as Lariat and June have no masks on.

"Put them in the cage." Lariat tells other girls around them.

"Roger!" they reply.

"I must warn you miss Lariat, I do not like cages that much. I'm afraid I will have to stay outside while these two are inside." Leo calls to her.

"How dare you!" one of the girls shout while slapping at Leo. Lariat grabs her hand before she could slap him.

"There is no need for that. This one is trust worthy. Let him do as he wishes… but only to a point! He could kill all of us if he wanted to…" Lariat tells her before turning around.

As she walks off the women show the three to their cell. Leo can see Lariat carrying their food away. They walk them to the middle of the town where there is a large cage with no walls around it. There is at least half a dozen women guarding the cage. They open the door to the cage and throw Alister and Manabu inside.

"Did you have to be so hard on us?" Alister asks with a stressed face. Manabu just stares at the ground without expression.

"Get in." one of them tells Leo.

"I'm afraid I will have to decline that." Leo replies to her.

"I said get in!" the woman with red hair shouts at him before throwing a kunai at his shoulder. Leo simply catches it and breaks it in half with two fingers.

"I do not like cages I'm afraid. I will remain outside while you are guarding me. I will not attempt anything, you have my word." Leo tells her.

"Yeah right! How many other men have told us that and then turned around stabbing us in the back!" the woman yells to him. Leo then looks up at her and glares into her eyes.

"I will not betray your trust young lady." he says with a stern voice. She looks back into his eyes before letting out a sigh.

"Just watch this one will you…" she tells the guards. They nod before standing in front of him. Two of them are watching him face to face while the other two are watching the streets. Leo leans up against the cage as it begins to bend due to his force.

"I am sorry young ladies, I will just sit on the ground." Leo tells them as they are in shock.

"That cage is made of the strongest metals in Tera…" one of them thinks while having a very stressed look. As time passes by it begins to rain. The women get to cover as their prisoners begin to get soaking wet. Leo just sits there with no reaction to the rain.

"We're getting wet here! Can't you girls do something about that?!" Alister calls to them as they only seem to laugh about it. Leo looks around him before standing to his feet. The women across from him run out to confront him.

"Tell me… does anyone live in that house over there?" Leo asks them while pointing to his left. He is pointing to what looks like a house that caved in on itself.

"No, that house hasn't been used for a long time now." one of the girls reply to him.

"Will you allow me to use it for shelter?" he asks them.

"Go ahead. One of us will go with you." the girl tells him.

"That won't be needed miss." he replies back before walking over to it. He throws his cape to his side before taking hold of the roof.

"Is that man crazy? I think he's just trying to impress us girls." one of the guards says before Leo walks over to them with the roof above his head. All of the girls now have a stressed look while he places the roof over the cage. Even Alister and Manabu have stressed looks on their faces.

"Thank you." Leo says to them before sitting back down.

"Well I'm impressed. How about you girls?" one asks.

"Shut up." another replies while holding her hand to her face. Hours seem to pass by before a group of women walk up to the guards. Some of them taking notice of the roof over the cage now.

"Lariat wants to see them now." the one in charge of the group informs the lead guard.

They open the door to the cage as Alister and Manabu walk out. Leo stands to his feet as they close the door to the cage. They close the three in a circle and walk them towards Lariat. She is sitting on a chair inside of what looks like a destroyed temple. The entrance is destroyed but the hallways and main room is in near perfect condition. There is red carpet everywhere with gold lined across the ceilings trimmings. They stop in front of Lariat who is not wearing her bandit outfit anymore. She has long red hair with brown eyes. The left side of her cheek has a small scar. She is wearing a purple shirt with a small red scarf around her neck. She has a dull white colored pants with black sandals. June is also there beside her. She is wearing the same thing except she is wearing a small blue cape with a red shirt. June has a bright brown hair color with blue eyes. Her hair is in a ponytail unlike Lariat. She also has the same scar on her left cheek.

"You may leave now." Lariat tells the guards as they nod. They disappear without anything further being said.

"Ninja's?" Alister thinks to himself before looking around. He can see the guards taking cover in the shadows, waiting and watching just in case.

"I have no intentions of harming you three. If you do as I say you can leave without any further delay." Lariat tells them.

"What are your terms?" Leo questions.

"Release to us all of your possessions. This does not include your clothes, but that armor of yours looks like it would get a high price on the black market." Lariat says while looking at Leo.

"I am sorry, I will not give you my armor. You can take anything else but my armor is a part of me just as the shadows are a part of you." Leo replies while bowing to her.

"So he knew all along that my guards were still in the room…" she thinks before looking to Manabu.

"All I have is this saber. I guess I can just get a new one." Manabu says while tossing it to the ground in front of him.

"What about you?" Lariat asks Alister.

"I don't have anything that you would want, sorry." Alister replies as she stands to her feet.

"You're lying to me. You have something in your right side pocket of your jeans. Whatever it is I want it." Lariat says to him while walking down towards him.

"No, you can't have it." Alister tells her in a deep voice. Lariat stops in front of him as her guards appear behind her.

"If you don't give it to me unwelcome things will happen to you. What could be so important about the item you carry that is worth risking your life over?" she asks him before there is a loud noise outside.

"What was that?" Leo asks while everyone looks around. Suddenly the temple begins to shake with a tremendous force.

"Go see what it is!" Lariat commands her guards as they disappear.

Part of the roof breaks and falls towards Lariat. She looks up to see it falling towards her. She lets out a scream before Alister tackles her from the side. As they roll along the carpet the rain starts to get everyone wet. Alister stands up then extends his hand to her. She hesitates but takes his hand.

"I will show you why this item is so important!" Alister tells her before running out of the temple.

Manabu quickly grabs his saber before chasing after Alister. Leo walks over to Lariat who is walking towards the exit of the temple. He follows her outside where there is a very large group of bandits there. They are sitting in their vehicles shooting around wildly with their turrets. They are wearing green shirts that have a cut going down the middle of the shirt. The buttons have been cut off and their sleeves have been cut off as well. They are wearing brown pants with black boots. There are also women in rags in the vehicles with them.

"Now then! Where is the pretty Lariat hiding? We've come all this way to see her in this rain! She better show up or else!" the one in charge shouts in an angry manner. He rubs his bald head for a moment before firing his turret towards a home that has woman and children inside.

"No!" one of Lariat's guards scream before Leo steps in front of the bullets.

"Hah!" he shouts as he deflects the bullets with ease. The man in the turret stops as Leo's arm slashers return.

"Who is this guy?!" the bald guy shouts while looking around.

"Please stop this! What is your concern here? You were not suppose to show up until late tomorrow afternoon!" Lariat asks him.

"Are you trying to tell us when we can show up?" he asks her. Lariat actually looks away in fear as the man laughs.

"We came here early because we need the stuff you dogs have gotten for us this month! So hand all of it over and nobody will get hurt!" he tells her while the turret points away from Leo, and towards Lariat.

"Why you… you animal!" Lariat shouts to him.

"Wrong answer!" the man replies before his gunner pulls the trigger. Lariat and her guards close their eyes waiting for the moment of death. Nothing happens as they open their eyes.

"It is not nice to point guns at women, especially women as nice as these." Alister says to the bald man while standing with his arms crossed on the leaders buggy as Black Rockman. The bald man looks behind him to see that his gunner was knocked out.

"You're… a Rockman?!" the man asks him in fear.

"Correct. Now why don't you guys return all of the women you took from them? In return, I'll let you guys leave this place alive." Alister says to him while crouching down. He looks him in the eyes for a moment.

"Shoot him!" the man yells as the other gunners turn their attention on Alister. Suddenly their vehicles are cut in half as Manabu walks up to Alister.

"You may want to think this over before jumping the gun like that." Manabu tells the man while holding his saber near the mans neck.

"Return the women and never come back. You will leave these women alone! Is that understood?!" Alister shouts to him as the bald man is thrown out of his vehicle. Alister picks him up and makes him kneel in front of Lariat. She looks at Alister with a curious look this time.

"What are you doing?" June asks him before Leo walks up with five more men in his arms. Manabu drags two of them towards them. They are all placed in front of Lariat and her guards. The entire town is behind Lariat now.

"Tell them you are sorry for what you have done!" Alister shouts to them. They hesitate but with a low voice they apologize.

"Louder! I don't think they can hear you!" Alister shouts in a louder voice as they begin to shout how sorry they are. A few minutes pass as the men run out of the town. Lariat walks over to Alister as he returns to normal.

"I see why you put up a fight." she speaks as Alister catches Model ZW in the air. He then puts it back in his right pocket.

"I'm just glad I was able to help out in the end. Do you still think of men as just pigs?" Alister asks her.

"Yes." Lariat quickly responds.

"Really?" asks Alister.

"However… you three have proven to be trust worthy. You have my thanks." Lariat says while bowing to him. Behind her everyone in the town including her guards bow to the three.

"That's not really needed…!" Alister says while scratching the back of his head.

As the day passes on they help the women and children repair their homes. The rain soon stops which makes it perfect to work in. They share most of their food with them from their bag. Leo himself repairs the roof of the temple. Making it as if nothing ever happened. As the day ends they are given a room to stay inside of the temple. The night goes by fast as they are all tired from the work. Leo however is wide awake and looking outside of his window. When morning comes Alister and Manabu walk out of their room to see Lariat and June greeting them. Leo walks up at that same time from down the hallway.

"Thank you for letting us stay in this temple. It was very kind of you." Leo thanks while bowing to them.

"We should be thanking you three. You saved us all… and after we treated you so badly." Lariat says while looking to the side.

"It is in the past. You don't need to worry about it now. Just look towards your future and pray that it is a good one." Alister tells her. Lariat begins to cry a bit as June puts her hand on her right shoulder. An hour passes by before they are on the outside of the town. Everyone in the town is there to see them off.

"Thank you again for your help." says June as the three walk off.

"Wait!" Lariat calls to them.

"What is it?" Leo asks while they turn around. Lariat seemed to hesitate before speaking.

"We are… the Beautiful Thorns. That is the name behind our crest." Lariat finally answers Leo's question from the day before.

"I see. It is an elegant name. It suits all of you quite well… farewell." Leo says to them as they walk away.

"He's so dreamy…!" one of the girls says while watching them walk away.

"Get a grip." June tells her.

End of Chapter 41


	43. Chapter 42: Encounter With Makato

Rockman ZW: Genesis

Chapter 42: Encounter With Makato

"Well? Which was should we go?" Manabu asks Leo while standing at a point in the desert.

They stand before a large mountain that has two paths in front of them. One leading to the left, while the other leads to the right slanting down a bit. The path on the left looks like the obvious choice. It looks like it would be the safest route to take with nothing in sight. The right path however has jagged rocks and bones around the entrance. As if it was the path was directly to hell itself.

"I've never been this way before, I do not know." Leo replies while looking around. "We will not split up however." he adds soon after.

"I say we go to the right." Alister speaks up.

"Are you nuts? Look at that path! It cries do not enter!" Manabu shouts as Leo looks at the path.

"I see... so you are thinking that somebody purposely made that path look dangerous?" Leo asks Alister.

"I do." he replies while pushing away Manabu.

"I have to agree with you Alister. I believe that someone or something is trying to lead people down the wrong path here. We shall go right." Leo says while walking past them.

Alister and Manabu quickly follow behind. They take notice that while they walk further in the path begins to look more peaceful. As they look to their left they notice that they have been walking up the mountain the entire time. To their right is nothing but dead trees that have wilted away over time. On the other side of the mountain is the same thing.

"It seems you were correct Alister, look down there Manabu." Leo tells Manabu while stopping. He then points to the valley below as Manabu's face has a shocked look. Quicksand covers the area as far as they can see.

"There must be bandits here. We need to keep an eye out for them if this is the case." Manabu realizes as the other two nod in agreement. Leo looks back while walking to look at Alister and Manabu. At that same moment he takes notice of something following them. It soon moves out of his sight as he turns his head around.

"I see. So there are bandits here… even so… I want to see how they handle it." Leo thinks to himself. He stops at a cliff that has a large drop below them.

"There's a path not to far back that leads below. Maybe we can check it out." Alister points out.

"It looks like it's our only option at this point." Manabu adds while kicking a small rock down below. As it crashes into the rocks below all they can hear is an echo sound. Manabu gets a very stressed face while turning around. As he turns around there is a large group standing there.

"Looks like you guys got cornered! Even after you avoided our trap!" one cackles.

"Wait a minute… haven't I beaten you guys before?" Alister asks them while taking notice of their outfits. He remembers the day when he and Manabu went to go save the girl from Makato and his men.

"These guys belong to Makato?" Manabu asks suddenly. The group of bandits all gasp as they can remember Alister attacking them. They suddenly drop to the ground begging him to not hurt them.

"Now now… there's no need for that." Alister tells them while having a stressed look.

"Since we don't have to defeat you again will you get out of our way then?" Leo asks them.

"That won't be needed." a familiar voice says from behind the group. They split as Makato walks between them.

"Makato…" Manabu mutters while clenching his fists.

"I see we meet again. I didn't expect you three to show up here of all places." Makato says to them.

"Is this another hideout? Or is this your base?" Alister asks him.

"You would be correct on both Rockman." he replies.

"My name is Alister Storm, not Rockman. So call me by my name." Alister says with a aggravated look.

"My apologies Alister. Well since you three are here, I'll show you around." Makato says while turning around.

"You're not going to try to stop us or anything?" Manabu asks him.

"I know I'm no match for one of you. I'm not going to bother getting my hands dirty on this. I have good intentions I assure you." he replies while walking away. "The offer is on the table. Take it or leave it." he adds while his group follows close behind.

"We will follow him." Leo tells them.

"Why? Last time he tried to split me in half!" Manabu argues.

"He is a very noble man. He sticks to his word and above all else did not kill you the last time you met. A samurai is like that." Leo says before walking forward. Manabu thinks about it for a moment before following Leo.

"Yeah but why did he have to put me in the same league as Manabu…" complains Alister before following everyone else. Makato and his men lead them down the path they saw before. It is really narrow as Leo can barely fit on it himself. As they turn a corner the bandit in front of Leo slips off of the edge of the path.

"No!!" the bandit cries as Leo catches him. He then sets him back on the path.

"Don't slip next time. I may not be around to save you again." Leo tells him. The bandit's eyes were glittering as if the man was admiring him. He then thanks him before continuing.

"That guy is not normal…" the other bandits talk among each other.

"Leo is certainly the heroic type." Alister thinks to himself.

"Yes he is." Model ZW suddenly speaks up.

"I keep forgetting that you can hear my thoughts." Alister thinks. Soon after they reach the bottom of the trail. Before them stands a large house made out of stone, a castle if you will. It has at least six floors to it with two towers on the front part of it. There is a large walkway going around this large castle.

"What is this thing doing down here?!" Manabu shouts in shock.

"This castle has been in my family for generations. The Ranpu bloodline has lived here for a very long time. As well as the families of my bandits." Makato tells them.

"Ranpu… this name means light. Am I correct?" Leo asks him.

"You are. While we may not seem like it, we are very honorable. We admire bravery and courage and reward that. We never kill on purpose and we only seek what can be gained without confrontation." Makato replies.

"Then why did you take Misao and threaten to kill her?" Manabu snaps at him.

"Her father is a coward. If anything he would pay to avoid fighting. I was shocked to see that he sent a Rockman and two others to rescue her. I was not going to kill her, I promise that. I would have sent her back soon after." replies Makato while walking towards the castle. "Please come in. I promise there will be no traps lying ahead for you." he adds while his men follow.

Some of them return to the mountain to keep an eye out for anything else. The three walk inside of the castle to see that the entire castle is made on stone, not just the outside. There is a red carpet underneath them that ends at a splitting hallway. There is three paths. They take the one in front of them because there is a throne room ahead. They can see Makato sitting down at a very large table. There are windows all around the throne room. Just like something you would see in a fairy tail. Some of Makato's men sit down next to him.

"Please have a seat." Makato says to them as Leo sits down next to a bandit, scaring him out of his wits. Alister and Manabu sit down on the opposite side of Leo.

"This is a very well kept castle Makato. How do you keep it a secret?" Alister asks him.

"There are traps all around this mountain. We normally don't get many travelers in this area. So just in case we have traps. These traps may look deadly but in reality they are harmless." Makato replies.

"What about the quicksand then?" Manabu sharply questions him.

"The quicksand has a special attribute to it. Whenever someone gets trapped in my quicksand they soon fall asleep. When the sand soaks into their clothes it will start giving off fumes that sooner or later turn into sleeping gasses. Then they are taken away from the mountain to a safe spot where they will wake up thinking of it to be a bad dream." Makato answers while a bandit pours a glass of water for him.

He then goes around the table doing the same for everyone. Alister and Manabu take notice that Leo is about to take a drink. They are curious to see what his face looks like. The bottom part of his mask opens while taking a drink. They take notice of many scars on his face before the mask shuts. They figure that's why he has a mask on.

"What brings you three out here anyways?" Makato questions.

"We are simply traveling through." Leo replies while looking around.

"I see. Which city are you heading towards? I may be able to give you directions." Makato says while taking a drink from his glass.

"We're not heading towards a city. We are heading somewhere else." Leo tells him.

"Very well. You three are welcome to stay as long as you like. It's not like I could stop you or anything." Makato laughs as his men do at the same time. Suddenly Manabu slams his glass down, and walks out of the room.

"Manabu!" Alister calls after him. "I'll go get him…" he adds while running off with a sigh. There is a moment of silence as both Makato and Leo watch each other.

"Men!" Makato suddenly shouts.

"Sir!" they respond at once.

"Leave the room. I want to have a word with this gentlemen here." he tells them as they get up and leave.

"Did I do something to upset you?" Leo asks him while taking another drink from his glass.

"How long?" Makato asks him.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about." Leo replies.

"How long were you planning on hiding your identity from them?" Makato continues to question.

"I do not plan on hiding anything from them. They are simply not aware of what this world is going through. They are innocent." Leo responds.

"So… they have no idea on what's going on? I take it you're on your way to train them?" Makato asks.

"Correct. They must be ready for the future. In case I am not around to defend this world, they will take my place in desperate times." Leo answers him.

"I see… you are not like the others… you are honorable… justice is on your side." Makato says while holding his glass in the air.

"You are an honorable man as well. To peace! For a greater and brighter Tera!" Leo says with a louder voice. He raises his glass into the air as well to join Makato. They soon take a drink from their glass.

"You are very skilled with your saber Makato. How long have you trained?" Leo asks him.

"As long as I can remember. How about you? Your strength far surpasses my own." Makato praises him.

"I am… not certain of that myself. I do not believe I have ever trained a day in my life." Leo tells him.

"What?" Makato asks him looking shocked. Leo starts to look at his armor while thinking back.

"As long as I can remember… I've had this fearsome strength. I have always been able to defend myself and others around me. I do not know where this power comes from. I normally don't worry about it however. Why worry about something that is not clouding my vision?" Leo asks him.

"So in terms you are a Drifter as well?" Makato asks.

"I suppose so." Leo replies.

"If you have always been able to defend yourself… how did you manage to get those scars on your face?" Makato questions.

"I'm not sure of that as well. All I can remember is waking up… and these scars were on my face. I do not know how it happened." Leo answers him.

"I'm sorry. I have asked too many questions. Please forgive me." Makato says while bowing his head.

"Not at all. I enjoy a good conversation with someone who shares the same honor as myself." Leo says while holding his left hand towards Makato.

"You are certainly not like the others. What do they think of you?" Makato asks.

"They are not aware of my actions. As far as they are concerned, I am simply enjoying what the planet has to offer. I would also like it if you did not mention this conversation to the two that I am about to train." Leo says while finishing his glass of water.

"I understand completely." Makato says before Alister and Manabu walk in again.

"I apologize for being rude before." Manabu says while sitting down again.

"So will you three be staying for tonight?" Makato asks them.

"I'm afraid we can't. We've already been pushed back due to an encounter with some lovely thorns in the desert. We must leave soon." Leo replies to him.

"I see. You three will go with my blessings. I wish you a safe passage through this world. There is a passage behind this castle that will take you away from the mountain." Makato says before standing to his feet. He bows to them before leaving the throne room.

"Let us be off." Leo tells them before standing to his feet. Alister and Manabu follow close behind as they leave the castle. Makato and his men stand above them as they watch.

"Sir are you sure it was alright to let them go?" one of Makato's men question him.

"I trust that knight. If anything he was the one letting all of us go." Makato replies to him while walking away.

"If he is one of those knights then he will report us to them!" another shouts to him.

"I trust Leo. Does anyone here question my decision?" Makato asks them.

"No sir!" they reply.

"I did not think so." Makato says while looking to the sky.

End of Chapter 42


	44. Chapter 43: History Lessons

Rockman ZW: Genesis

Chapter 43: History Lessons

After walking for two days straight the three heroes finally arrive at their destination. Alister and Manabu look up to take notice that it is another mountain, out in the middle of nowhere. They look to the left and then the right to make sure they were not missing anything.

"Are you sure this is the place? It looks like another big rock to me…" Manabu says with a big sigh.

"Tell me... what do you see when you look at this mountain?" Leo curiously asks.

"Jagged, old and it's a large rock." Alister replies when Leo then walks towards the base of the mountain.

"Yes but what happens when you look inside?" he asks before a rock slides out of place.

Alister and Manabu look at each other before running after Leo. When they catch up to Leo they are inside of the mountain with no light to guide them. Them Leo strikes the wall with a stick before it bursts into flames. As they walk a little while more they follow Leo's exact movements, before Leo falls down below.

"Leo! Are you alright?!" Alister asks while looking around. They can see the flame in the distance.

"Can you hear me?" Leo asks them from below.

"Yeah!" Manabu replies.

"Jump down here! Just make sure you land on your feet!" Leo says before another rock opens behind him.

Suddenly there is a large amount of light from where the rock was, the two leap down without any further delay. After landing they can hardly believe their eyes, before them is an underground oasis. There is clean water flowing from a small waterfall, it sparkles while flowing down to a small pond with fish in it. There is a great amount of lights all around the top of the oasis keeping all of the plants alive and healthy. All of the trees are nearly fully grown and healthy as well. Leo sits on a rock that is in front of the waterfall with his legs crossed. To his left there is a small well built log cabin with a window on the left and right of the front door.

"Leo… how is this place even possible?" Manabu asks him with a shocked look.

"I found this small oasis many years ago while on a journey. It shocked me as much as it shocked you two. Although it was a natural oasis I provided it with the artificial sun lights you see all around. This world has lost technology everywhere, it took me quite a while to gather up what was needed for this place. I'm very pleased to see that it is doing so well after being gone for so long." Leo explains to them while looking at the lights.

"The grass is so soft and healthy. Everything here is so hard to believe! This entire world is just one large desert! Yet this place exists under a mountain in the middle of the desert…" Manabu says while looking around.

"So will this be where we will train?" Alister asks Leo.

"It is." Leo replies. "This is a very peaceful and soothing area. It is a perfect place to train." Leo tells them before reaching into the bag that is still very full of food.

"I would like to know… why exactly are you training us? Someone as powerful as you just doesn't come along training two nobody's." Alister states as Leo stands to his feet.

"All will be explained in due time. For now we will eat and drink plenty of fluids, that was a long walk after all." Leo tells them before handing them a loaf of bread a piece. He then tosses them a bottle of water for each before sitting down on the grass in front of them. Alister and Manabu do the same as they begin to eat their food. As they relax for the time Alister and Manabu joke with each other and have a good time. Leo just sits there while eating quietly.

"Leo." Alister suddenly speaks up.

"What is it?" he asks him.

"Why are you training us? Is there something you're not telling us?" Alister asks him while Manabu looks towards Leo as well.

"There is in fact something I am not telling you. It will remain that way until I feel you are ready to learn about it. Until then you shall train here." Leo replies.

"Something he's not telling us?" Manabu thinks to himself while drinking from his bottle. As the time goes by Leo finally stands to his feet and throws his cape back.

"It is time for your training to begin." Leo tells them as they stand to their feet as well.

"Well we came here for that reason after all." Manabu says with a smirk.

"Alister I want you to place your Live Metal over there on the rock I was sitting on before. You will not need it for this." Leo tells Alister. He then walks past Leo to place it on the rock. While walking back Leo suddenly punches towards Alister who ducks at the right moment.

"You were prepared for that were you not?" Leo asks him while Manabu freaks out.

"I knew you would try that." Alister replies while walking next to Manabu.

"Fine. I want you two to try your hardest to land a hit on me. When the two of you manage to hit me we will continue. Now come at me!" Leo shouts to them. His voice almost seemed like a sonic boom as they rush towards him. They both attack with a punch that looks like it hit Leo. He appears behind them suddenly as they nearly fall on their faces.

"You will have to try better than that." Leo tells them while crossing his arms.

Alister and Manabu then attack from a different direction each. Leo keeps a close eye on both of them while dodging their attacks with such ease. As Alister goes for a punch Manabu goes for a high jump kick. Leo fades out of their sight as they both attack each other by mistake. They fall to the ground with blood on their faces from each others attack.

"If you two want to hit me then you must work as a team. Never act alone unless you are forced to." Leo tells them.

"Alright… if that's the case…" Alister starts while running forwards.

"Then we will just have to split up our attacks…" Manabu finishes his sentence while moving forwards slightly.

Leo takes notice of this while standing his ground. Alister tries to hit him with a jump kick which Leo blocks instead of disappearing. Manabu wastes no time as he attempts a jump kick of his own. Leo disappears that time as Alister shows up behind him. He kicks upwards as Leo moves forwards. Manabu then shows up behind Alister and jumps over him to try and catch Leo off guard. Leo grabs Manabu by his foot and throws him back at Alister who leaps over Manabu. Leo takes notice of Alister grabbing Manabu's hand and then using the force from Leo's throw to send him back towards him. Manabu crashes into Leo as Alister instantly lands a punch to Leo's stomach, causing the green warrior to slide backwards before stopping.

"Impressive. You used the force of my throw to your advantage. I assume Manabu knew of this plan as well?" Leo questions.

"No matter what it took one of us was going to get the first hit." he replies while taking a deep breath.

"I see... you have proven to be able to anticipate the movements of someone that is moving faster than the human eye. This is your next lesson, I have no doubts that your bodies are in top condition so we won't bother with any type of that training. Instead we will improve your speed, this is somewhat like the last lesson only you will not be trying to attack me. If you can keep up with my speed then we will move on. You cannot use your Live Metal however, it will stay where it is for now." Leo says while crossing his arms again.

"Speed? Why does this seem familiar to me?" Alister asks himself while Manabu wastes no time to dive into the lessen as he attempts to tackle Leo. The green warrior dashes to his left to avoid as Manabu watches in amazement.

"This is going to be hard to keep up with…" he tells himself while continuing the chase.

"Why does this all seem like I have done it before? Where have I done this before though?" Alister continues to ask himself before Leo takes notice of this and stops in front of Alister who is suddenly holding his head tightly.

"Is there something wrong Alister?" he asks him while Manabu stops next to Leo.

"My head… it hurts…" he replies while falling to his knees. He then starts to wave his head back and forth shouting about the pain. Leo then swiftly hits Alister in the back of the neck knocking him out.

"What did you do that for?!" Manabu asks with another shocked look.

"He was obviously in a lot of pain. That was the only thing I could do for him at the moment. Obviously something I said or did brought back a memory of his." Leo replies while setting Alister down in front of the rock where Model ZW is. As Alister rests against the rock he starts to dream. In this dream he is inside of a large dome, there is two figures standing in front of him. He can almost make those images out as he suddenly wakes up.

"Hey! He's awake!" Manabu shouts as Leo stands to his feet. Alister does the same while looking around.

"What… happened?" he asks while holding his forehead.

"You were having a flashback." Leo answers.

"Flashback? Of what?" Manabu questions while crossing his arms.

"That is what happens to a Drifter." Leo replies before sitting down in front of the rock before Alister and Manabu sit down in a front of Leo.

"The guards in the cities called us a Drifter as well. What is so special about a Drifter apart from a normal citizen?" asks Alister.

"What I am about to tell you does not go past these walls, you must never tell anyone of this secret!" Leo tells them.

"I understand." Manabu replies.

"You have my word." Alister says while Leo looks at both of them.

"Long ago… when this world was actually full of life there was a group called the Tera Knights. These Knights ruled over the planet with honor and justice. Alvar, the leader of the Tera Knights. Wraith, his right hand man. Ryzar and Tyzar, the Boanerges Brothers. It means Sons of Thunder as they have tremendous electric powers. There was another Knight, however he was never mentioned in history. Only a few know about him so that includes myself." Leo explains.

"Five Knights of justice? Sounds too good to be true." Alister comments.

"It was too good to be true, one day it all seemed to change. The Knights turned from justice to evil suddenly, or rather their leader Alvar turned his ways. The remaining Knights had no idea on his plans, before they knew it… it was already too late. Alvar had gotten his hands on something so powerful… it could change the entire planet. This is called the Book of Origins." Leo tells them.

"Book of Origins? I've never heard of it until now." Manabu says while leaning forward.

"This book… although looking simple… had the power to create a new world. It was as if God himself somehow left this book on Tera by mistake. Alvar somehow found this Book and discovered that whatever was written inside of the Book… it would come to pass. He could map out the entire world in his image and place the people where ever he desired. This entire world that you and I live in… is nothing but a lie." Leo explains while looking at Model ZW.

"That would explain the strange feeling I get when I look at the clouds. I knew something was always off about them." Alister says while looking down at the grass.

"However… there were two rules to the Book of Origin's. In case the new world was to fall apart there would be a backup book that contained the previous worlds records inside. The Book of Origins would then be thrown back into the world for someone else to find… or the same person. The second rule was that whoever possessed the Book could not use it to kill anyone, so instead of killing they had to be placed somewhere in the world. The only two that knows of this Book of Origin's right now is Alvar and myself. He has the records of the original world. Alvar wanted a world covered in darkness, a world that would bow to him and his loyal Knights of Tera." Leo tells them.

"What does this have to do with us being Drifters though?" asks Manabu.

"Drifters… these are people that Alvar hates. The people that he purposely caused them to lose their memory. Everyone in the world has a fake memory because of Alvar. You two… were his most hated enemies." Leo tells them.

"Why us? Up until a few minutes ago I've never heard of this guy." Alister comments.

"That is because you two were the last two people that stood against Alvar and his new world. The heroes of the past world… I'm sure you recall waking up in the desert one day. That is because Alvar wanted you to. You see… although the Book of Origin's is powerful there is a limit to what it can do. The people that stood against Alvar in the last moments of the previous world were cast into the desert beyond the reach of time. This means that you could show up at any given time or place." Leo explains.

"That would explain why I keep getting these images of people I've never met before… or I have met… but I just don't remember. I keep having the same dreams over and over… a woman leaning over me telling me to wake up…" Alister says while holding his forehead again.

"You seem to know a lot about this matter. Who were you before all of this happened?" asks Manabu as Leo looks away.

"Are you sure you want to know?" he questions while looking back towards them.

"Leo… Tera Knight Leo…" Alister mutters.

"What?" Leo asks as Alister stands to his feet.

"You were a Tera Knight! I killed you myself!" Alister shouts as the other two stand to their feet.

"So you remember that? You are fortunate to remember that… I don't even remember that day." Leo tells him.

"This guy is one of those Knights?!" Manabu freaks out.

"I've also had a dream of something lying on the ground dead with a light hovering slightly over the body. A flash of lightning shows that the person had green armor… just like you… only you didn't wear a face mask." Alister says before walking over to Model ZW. "Is this what you've been hiding from me Model ZW?" Alister asks him.

"I'm sorry Alister. It was better that you found out on your own. Otherwise it could have really hurt you." Model ZW replies to him as this time Manabu and Leo can hear his voice as well.

"Was that Model ZW speaking just then?" Manabu asks while looking around.

"You can hear him?" questions Alister.

"Only those chosen to bear the name Rockman… can hear the voice of a Live Metal. That is strange… I have never been able to use one… why am I hearing his voice now?" Leo asks while looking away.

"This is getting way too freaky…" Manabu sighs.

"So this is why you wanted to train us… you knew that one day Alvar would get his hands on that Book of Origin's again. Is that correct?" Alister asks him.

"You two were the only ones that could stop him in the previous world, you must become those heroes once again!" Leo tells them.

"Then where is my Live Metal? How come I didn't wake up with a Live Metal next to me like Alister did?" asks Manabu.

"I do not know." Leo replies. "Will you two trust me?" he then asks them.

"Train us. If what you say is true then maybe we can one day bring back light to this world of darkness! We will be the eternal light, that destroys all evil!" Alister shouts.

End of Chapter 43


	45. Chapter 44: The Tera Knights

Rockman ZW: Genesis

Chapter 44: The Tera Knights

Alister, Manabu and Leo all three sleep inside of the log cabin, all three were tired from training. They have been at the oasis for nearly a week now. Manabu has shown the most improvement as he is quickly learning how to become a better swordsman. Alister however is caught up in his thoughts most of the time, more concerned about the things Leo has been talking about. The Tera Knights, Book of Origin's and his past life. All of it confused him causing him to lose concentration. Although Alister is sleeping well he has an un-easy look to his face while sleeping. Leo sits up from his bed while looking around taking notice of Alister moving back and forth. He then looks to his right taking notice of Model ZW. Leo gets out of the bed he is in and takes Model ZW from the table next to Alister. While walking outside of the cabin Model ZW begins to glow.

"I've been wanting to talk to you ever since the first moment I held you." Leo tells Model ZW while placing it on top of the rock in front of the waterfall.

"Is there something you would like to know?" Model ZW asks him.

"Yes… there is. How can I be a chosen one to use a Live Metal? I have never seen a Live Metal up until now, let alone actually hold one in my hands… how can this be?" Leo questions him.

"I do not know." Model ZW replies.

"Why is it that you started to glow when I picked you up?" Leo questions.

"That is something you must find out on your own." Model ZW replies.

"I too am a Drifter, at times I have memories of my past just as any other Drifter. However… all I can remember is looking around a field covered with dead bodies. My hands stained with blood… a silver scarf flips into my view as my eyes close. That is all I remember of my past self." Leo says while looking towards the waterfall.

"I'm afraid I cannot help you." Model ZW tells him.

"I am sorry to trouble you Live Metal." Leo says before turning around suddenly. He looks around while breathing heavy as if something were attacking him.

"Is there something wrong?" Model ZW asks.

"This is not good… not good at all!" Leo says while taking hold of Model ZW. He places it next to Alister before writing on a piece of paper for a moment. He then pulls his cape around him and walks out of the door. As Leo shuts the door behind him Manabu sits up in his bed wide awake.

"I wonder what that was about…" he thinks to himself while getting out of bed. He then flips the switch to turn the light on. As he reads the letter shock hits his face. He rushes over to Alister who is still having a hard time sleeping. Manabu pushes him back and forth before he finally wakes up.

"This better be good." Alister snaps while squinting his eyes at Manabu.

"Get out of bed and read this letter from Leo!" Manabu shouts at him. Alister jumps out of his bed while taking notice of Model ZW glowing. The glow dies down as Manabu hands Alister the letter.

"Manabu… Alister… it is with deep regret that I must leave the two of you now. The Tera Knights are on the move as they are aware of your existence in this world of theirs. Do not forget what I have taught you in this short time. I will be fighting with the Tera Knight's from this moment on to keep my cover but do not forget I will always be on your side of justice. Do not fight the Tera Knight's until you are stronger, you are not ready. I am afraid if you fight them now… you will die. There would be nobody left in the world that could stop them if that were to happen. Be safe and escape from the oasis as soon as you can! I beg of you!" Alister reads while ripping the paper in half.

"Alister…?" thinks Manabu while Alister takes a match before burning the letter from Leo.

"We need to get far away from here now. Let's take what food is left and go!" Alister says while putting his shirt on. Manabu nods in agreement while grabbing the bag of food. Thinking ahead he also takes the blankets with them just in case.

"Alister there is something I need to tell you." Model ZW speaks up as Alister places the Live Metal in his left pocket.

"Not now Model ZW! We have to leave!" Alister replies while running out of the door.

Manabu follows soon after as he turns out the lights. They hurry to climb up the small cliff and find their way out of the mountains oasis. It's nearly pitch black outside as the moon cannot shine through the clouds. They begin to make their way across the dark desert in hopes of finding another city sooner or later. Miles away five figures stand in the darkness. Lightning shoots across the sky as the five figures continue to stand there watching the desert.

"They are here… somewhere." the silver one speaks. His shoulder pads look sharp as they reach a foot out to his sides.

His chest plate looks as if it was made of jagged pieces of ice. His legs look the same as his chest plate. The only difference is his boots are smooth. His helmet has a piece of armor sticking up from his forehead area. There is a fin on each side of his head that points backwards. He has a black visor in front of his eyes and a black face mask as well. He has a pitch black cape.

"Master Alvar… please allow us to go find them." one requests while looking at the silver one.

This one has another standing next to him. Their armor looks almost like Alvar's only their chest plate is smooth and a bright yellow color. A white stripe goes across their chest plates from the middle up. Their shoulder pads do not go as far as Alvar's. Instead it bends down and curves back towards the shoulder. Their legs are smooth with a yellow color to them. White streaks go across the knee pads. Their boots are the same as Alvar's only yellow. Their helmets have a white visor over their eyes. They both have a V shaped mark on their helmets. Their capes are white with yellow on the inside. The only thing that could tell them apart was one has a yellow face mask while the other has a white face mask. Ryzar has the yellow face mask, Tyzar has the white face mask... The Boanerges Brothers.

"That would be a waste…" another speaks up.

His entire body is pitch black. His armor is the most simple of them all. His shoulder pads look like a box that was cut in half. His chest plate is smooth with a red slash down the middle. His legs and boots are smooth as well. He has a red visor and an even darker red face mask. His helmet has a V shaped mark as well only there is a part that sticks up from the forehead inside of the V. His cape is black on the outside with red on the inside. Wraith is the name of this one.

"Leo… what is your opinion?" Alvar asks as Leo walks up next to him.

"We should not underestimate them, they are after all the ones that nearly defeated us in the previous world." Leo replies.

"I agree. We will all find them at the same time... let the hunt begin." Alvar says while the others follow him close behind.

The lightning seemed to follow them as they walked through the dark desert. Alister and Manabu have made it to another small mountain as they can hear thunder in the distance. They take their time while getting past the mountain. There seems to be some hope as the area around them begins to light. Night time was passing as the morning was beginning.

"A little light should help." Alister says while walking towards the mountain. As they leave the mountain after some climbing the thunder begins to get louder and louder as they walk.

"If there is a storm approaching we may need to take shelter somewhere." Manabu mentions.

"We need to keep moving." Alister replies while they continue forward.

The thunder seems to be following them as it continues to get louder and louder. Finally they find hope of traveling around faster when they come across a camp site with many vehicles around. As they walk into the camp everyone there takes notice. They are wearing tan suits with brown cloaks around them.

"What is your concern with us?" a woman asks while walking up to them. She has blonde hair that is cut very short with green eyes.

"We're just looking to get to the next city. Could you tell us where it is?" Alister asks her.

"Of course. I'm sorry that I can't drive you there, my team and myself are here digging up resources for my city. So all I have to offer you are these maps of the world." she replies while handing them a good amount of maps.

"Are you sure it's alright to give us this much?" Manabu asks her while having trouble keeping them together. 

"It's not a problem. Everyone here has that amount of maps, I can easily borrow one of theirs." she replies with a smile.

"So you're just going to trust us… just like that?" Alister asks her with his right eye brow raised.

"Kindness is something that is given. I try to do my best in that area." she answers while looking at the clouds. "It looks like it is about to really hit hard." she adds while taking notice of the lightning.

"That's why we are in a rush actually. We wanted to get out of this weather before it hits." Manabu tells her while finally getting all of the maps together.

"Well if that's the case please take my vehicle to City Two. With a jeep it's only about an hour to two hour drive north of here." she says while pointing in the direction of the city. She leads them to a jeep that looks like a secret force was using it. It has a ton of armor on it with missile pods on the top left and right. The tires are thick as well, suited for any terrain. It is a red color with a black stripe under the doors. There is a cover over the top of the jeep so rain can't get in.

"Are you sure it's alright for us to have this?!" asks a shocked Alister while she hands him the keys.

"Like I said before, kindness is something that is given. Besides I have at least a dozen more back home." she replies with a smirk.

"Are you… serious…?" Alister asks with a stressed look. Suddenly Alister pushes her and Manabu out of the way as a lightning bolt strikes Alister down. He lies on the ground motionless as five figures walk towards them from the distance.

"One down…" Tyzar says while walking forward with his brother beside him.

"Then the other one is mine!" Ryzar shouts while holding his hands in front of him. Instantly an extremely large buster blade appears in his hands. He dashes forwards towards Manabu who barely jumps out of the way.

"Whoa! Who the heck are you guys?!" Manabu asks while flipping backwards. While Ryzar gets ready for another attack the other four knights walk closer to them.

"We are the Tera Knight's, although it may not matter to a dead man." Alvar tells him while a sword appears in his left hand. His sword is a saber just like Manabu's. Only this one has a darker color to it. Alvar suddenly appears in from of Manabu who instantly draws his own saber to counter the slash.

"Why are you attacking us?!" he asks Alvar.

"Interesting… you were able to block my attack... we are simply avoiding the past." Alvar tells him while kicking him back. Manabu slides across the sand before starting to cough up blood.

"I'm bleeding already?!" Manabu panics while wiping the blood away.

"Hmph… it seems you blocking my attack was nothing more than a fluke. Finish him off my Knight's." Alvar says while his saber retracts. He then turns around and walks away. As the other four Knight's surround Manabu Alvar turns around to watch. He takes notice of everyone else cowering in fear as well.

"You should just give up now boy!" Ryzar taunts.

"Nobody can beat us!" Tyzar adds.

"Your death will just add to the many I have killed." Wraith tells him as his saber appears. The saber is a red color with a more jagged look to it.

"You shall perish in the name of this new world." Leo says while throwing his cape back.

"Leo… what is it you're trying to do here?" Manabu thinks while getting ready to defend. As the four dash forwards to kill him a flash appears in front of them. They stop instantly to see that Manabu is gone.

"What?!" Alvar gasps as Alister stands to their left as Black Rockman. Manabu falls to the ground still coughing up blood from Alvar's attack. Alvar then crosses his arms to watch in interest.

"Thanks Alister… that was close." Manabu says while taking notice of Alister's eyes. They are a red color at the moment.

"Make sure the others get away safely, take the jeep." Alister tells him while tossing him the keys.

"Got it!" Manabu replies while running towards the people near Alvar.

"So, we meet Black Rockman... what will you do this time?" Alvar asks Alister.

Suddenly in a burst of speed Alister rushes towards Alvar with his arm slashers out. He leaves a trail of sand kicked up behind him. Alister begins to rapidly slash as Alvar can barely manage to block him. As soon as Manabu finds an opening in the fighting he rushes towards the jeep. He starts it while the other four Knight's surround the jeep.

"You're not going to escape you little punk!" Tyzar shouts at him.

"Out of my way!" Manabu shouts to them while pressing a few buttons. The missile pods begin to open fire on the Knight's as he drives away from them.

"That was pure luck…" Manabu thinks to himself while heading towards the diggers.

"Not so fast!" Alvar shouts while slashing at the ground.

This sends a powerful shockwave towards the people that are loading into the jeep at the moment. Alister appears in front of the shockwave before using his arm slashers to create a counter shockwave. As they two cancel each other out Alister dashes towards Alvar who is charging him at the same time. As the two clash with each other again the other four Knight's join the fight as well.

"Alister!" Manabu shouts while stopping the jeep.

"Don't worry about me! Just go!" Alister replies while Wraith slashes towards him.

Right as the saber connects Alister disappears, he then appears behind Wraith while slashing wildly at his back. The Boanerges Brothers raise their buster blades into the air causing a lightning bolt to strike. Before hitting Alister he disappears again, this time he sends a shockwave from a safe distance at the Boanerges Brothers. Leo then appears in front of Alister slashing with his own arm slashers. The two clash as a violent shockwave from the clash spreads out. Alvar and his Knight's leap backwards to avoid the shockwave as Alister and Leo continue their struggle.

"Impressive! I didn't know you had this kind of power already!" Leo says to him.

"He is not aware!!" he replies while jumping back.

"He…? Then Model ZW is in control?!" Leo thinks to himself while jumping back as well. Alister holds his right arm slasher in front of his chest waiting for the next attack.

"I think this is good enough. Hopefully by now Manabu and the other have gotten pretty far by now." Zerowing thinks before disappearing.

"He is gone... I do not feel his presence anymore." Alvar says while putting his saber on his hilt.

"What will we do now Master Alvar?" Leo questions while walking towards him.

"Wraith was injured in that fight. It seems Black Rockman has regained more of his memory than I had first thought. We will have to return for now until Wraith has been repaired." Alvar tells them.

The Knights nod to his words before Leo picks up Wraith. As they walk into the distance they disappear. Manabu races across the desert in hopes to get away from the Tera Knight's. Suddenly Alister appears in front of them in the distance. Manabu stops as Alister falls to the ground, losing his form while Manabu runs up to him.

"Alister!" he shouts in panic as the girl from before runs up to them and puts her hand on Alister's forehead.

"He's burning up! We need to get him to the City right away!" she says as Manabu nods to her. He picks up Alister and places him inside of the already crowded jeep.

End of Chapter 44


	46. Chapter 45: Red Warrior

**_Rockman ZW: Genesis_**

**_Chapter 45: Red Warrior_**

* * *

While arriving at City Two Manabu drives the jeep according to the woman's directions. This place looks like the city where Manabu first met Alister, broken down homes with the rich part of town on the other side. Although the city is large the streets are very wide. Manabu follows her directions all the way towards a building that has three floors to it. It looks well maintained to be in the broken down part of the town. The building has a large area in the front and back, the back area looking the most guarded. There is a an area over the main doors that keeps the rain from getting in.

"Go around the back side and park the jeep near the shed." the woman tells him as he turns around the corner. Manabu drives for nearly a minute to the back side of the building before turning around a small patch of trees. He stops in front of a large metal shed that is at least two stories high.

"You call this a shed?" Manabu asks while getting out of the jeep. As the rest of the people in the jeep all basically fall out due to no space. They crash on the ground as the woman with blonde hair that is sitting up front with Alister steps out of the vehicle.

"It's more like my personal working space, help me get this guy inside." she says as Manabu picks Alister up.

The woman takes a pair of keys from her left pocket and opens the door for them. Inside there is a ton of medical equipment as well as some purely scientific items. The second floor is full of boxes and crates that seem to keep her equipment running, such as long life batteries and fusion coils. Near the back side of the shed is an area with two beds. Manabu walks back there and places Alister on the furthest bed while the woman walks over with the usual doctor equipment. She checks everything about Alister including his identification. She takes Model ZW from Alister's hands before placing it on a tray behind her.

"Will he be alright?" Manabu asks her while she checks Alister's pulse.

"I'm not sure, we will have to wait and see. Your friend... was that silver and black Rockman correct?" she replies as Manabu gets a panicked and shocked look to his face.

"So you know huh?" he asks while looking at Model ZW.

"This is not the first time I have come across someone with a Live Metal, it is actually the area I specialize in. Let me show you something." she says while putting Alister's arm down. She walks away as Manabu follows her, the people from before soon fill the shed working on their own personal projects.

"By the way… my name is Manabu. That guy on the bed is Alister." Manabu introduces.

"My name is Haley Michaels." she says while walking towards a wall with tools for auto repair. She takes out her keys again and places the smallest key inside of a hole big enough for a human hand to fit through. Suddenly a beam of light hits her eyes.

"Scanning. Confirmed." a computer speaks from under the hole.

"Do not put your hand in there. Unless you would rather take your chances with the security system here." she warns him as the wall opens, revealing an elevator behind it.

"A secret elevator huh? Something tells me you're no ordinary doctor or scientist." Manabu says with a stressed look.

"You'd be correct on that part, but something tells me you two are no ordinary Drifters." she replies back while walking into the elevator. Manabu scratches his forehead before following her in while she presses the button to go down. The wall closes soon after they descend quickly.

"So why do you have a secret elevator in a shed full of scientific equipment?" asks a curious Manabu.

"I suppose it is the same reason why your friend fought against the Tera Knights." she replies as the elevator comes to a stop. The double doors in front of them open as the light shines through. When Manabu can see again his eyes open wide, before him is a ton of advanced weapons such as laser rifles, high powered bombs, hover cycles and many more of those desert jeeps. There are many land based vehicles as well as many small bases that can fly.

"I don't get it... why show all of this to me?" asks Manabu.

"I wanted to show you something down here, it's further into the back." she replies while walking away. Manabu follows close behind not wanting to get lost in this place.

"Over the years me and my friends have come to realize that the Tera Knight's are evil. Even though they tell us they are protecting us… it's far from that. They promise to protect us from bandits or the evil of the land. They continue to call the so called Drifter's that are Rockmen… evil. Even though the ones who use Live Metal's have nothing but good in mind. That is why I, along with many of my friends had this place built. In case the Tera Knight's attempted to kill anyone in this city we could protect them." Haley explains to him before walking up to a control panel. Above it there are at least three laser turrets guarding whatever is behind the sliding wall. As she presses enter on the panel the wall slides back, inside is a container with a small floating object inside.

"Is that another Live Metal?!" asks a very shocked Manabu. The Live Metal is red with a black stripe going down its left and right side. It looks a lot like Model Z.

"I want to see if you are the chosen one for this Live Metal. I found this one day while digging for energy supplies for the city. If you are the chosen one for this Live Metal you can leave here with it, no strings attached." she tells him while opening the container from the top. As she takes the Live Metal from the container Manabu has excitement rushing through him while at the same time he is doubting. She hands him the Live Metal while Manabu looks right at it, hoping it would talk to him. Nothing happens after a few minutes before Haley takes it from his hands.

"I guess that one is not for me." Manabu says with a sigh following.

"Don't feel bad, you wouldn't be the first to be let down. Let's get back to your friend. I hope he is awake by now, I have questions I'd like to ask him." Haley says while closing the container. A few minutes later they walk towards the bed that Alister is resting on. Manabu is relieved to see that he is sitting up.

"Hey Alister, good thing you're awake." Manabu calmly says while walking up to him.

"Where am I?" asks Alister while looking around. He takes notice of Model ZW on top of the tray in front of him. He places it in his pocket after reaching to grab it.

"Alister my name is Haley Michaels, I helped your friend bring you here. We're safe from the Tera Knight's now." she explains to him.

"Tera Knight's? Did they attack?" Alister asks them with a confused look on his face.

"What do you mean? You held them back yourself!" Manabu replies while sharing the same confused look.

"I don't remember any of that… I just remember pushing you two out of the way before something extremely strong hit me. Next thing I know… I'm waking up here." Alister says while holding his head.

"I see... that means that your Live Metal took control of your body while you were unconscious. It must have drained your body because of this." Haley explains.

"Model ZW took control of my body?" Alister asks while taking Model ZW out of his pocket, closely looking it over.

"Yes, I did it in order to protect them." Model ZW tells him.

"You were doing some amazing moves back there Alister. I've never seen you move so fast." Manabu tells him.

"That also explains why he is so tired from the fight. A Live Metal holds the memories of the original self it use to be. While a human or reploid is knocked out a Live Metal can take control as there is no will to fight back. In this case your Live Metal took control to help save everyone. At the same time your body is not use to that kind of speed and power." Haley explains.

"How do you know so much about these things?" Alister asks her while standing to his feet. He then suddenly falls back down due to feeling weak.

"I wouldn't push yourself too much Alister. Your body still needs to rest." Haley tells him while forcing him to lie down. Alister falls asleep as soon as his head hits the pillow. Haley pulls the cover over him and closes the curtain so he can rest.

"I'm sorry we have burdened you so much." Manabu says while walking away from Alister.

"It's not a problem. That building we passed on the way out here is a hospital. I help out there from time to time. So I guess you could say I'm use to this sort of thing." she tells him while walking away. Manabu sits down in the bed on the other side from Alister. He is tired as well due to all of the walking from before. He lies down and soon falls asleep.

"Time… come… the time… established… confirmed…" a voice echoes inside of Manabu's head as he wakes up. He looks around to see Haley standing next to Alister checking his pulse. This time she is wearing a lab coat over a black shirt with blue jeans.

"Did you say something?" Manabu asks her while sitting up. He takes notice that it is a bit darker outside than before.

"No, I didn't say anything." she replies while walking over to him. She checks his pulse as Manabu begins to get pain from his stomach area. Haley checks to see what is causing the pain and takes notice of a large bruise.

"I must have gotten bruised while fighting that Alvar guy…" Manabu tells her. As Haley pulls his shirt back down she walks over to the table against the wall in between the beds. She takes a bottle and opens it while reaching down below to grab a bottle of water. After pouring a few pills into her hand she walks back over to Manabu.

"Here, take these pills. They will help the pain go away much faster than any ordinary pain relief medication." Haley tells him as Manabu takes the pills from her hand. He takes a drink from the bottle before taking the pills one by one.

"This water tastes really odd." Manabu complains while gulping it down.

"That water is also a special mix of my own. It speeds up the healing process of the body. Your bruise should be gone before the night is over." she tells him.

"It looks like you don't need a Live Metal to save people after all." Manabu says while standing to his feet.

"What do you mean?" Haley asks him with a curious look.

"With the stuff you have here you can save people without using a Live Metal. A bruise that goes away after taking the pills you gave me as well as drinking the water? That is amazing work Haley!" Manabu responds making her blush a bit.

"I try my hardest." she replies with a smile. As the two of them have a moment of silence there is a crack of thunder outside. Manabu races outside to quickly look at the sky. Haley then follows while lightning shoots across the sky.

"There is no rain in the distance…" Manabu thinks as the thunder gets louder and louder by the second.

"What is it?" Haley asks him.

"I think the Tera Knights are on their way here... you need to go and make sure everyone in the hospital is safe now!" Manabu shouts before a lightning bolt strikes near them. Manabu jumps in front of Haley to take most of the shock from the lightning strike. As they fly through the air Manabu grabs her and is slammed against the wall while protecting her. Two figures appear down the road that Manabu drove down before. The Boanerges Brothers calmly walk down the road directly towards the shed.

"How did they manage to find us?!" Manabu asks while helping Haley stand up.

"So this is their defense? A pitiful excuse for a swordsman?" Ryzar asks his brother.

"I guess so. We should deal with them quickly before returning to Master Alvar." Tyzar replies as they continue to walk closer. Behind them Haley takes notice of a pillar of smoke rising from where the hospital is.

"No! What did you two do?!" she screams at them. The two of them stop in front of them while laughing to themselves.

"Nobody at that pathetic little hospital could answer our questions so we destroyed it." Ryzar answers her. As her fears are realized she drops to the ground before starting to cry. Everything she had been achieving, her life's work was gone in a pillar of smoke.

"Monsters!" Manabu shouts while rushing forward.

"Don't be a fool." Tyzar says while back handing Manabu away.

"Did you just pimp slap me?!" Manabu asks while drawing his saber.

"He wants to play with a sword?" Tyzar asks while a buster blade appears in his hands.

"I guess so. Let's take him out quickly." Ryzar replies as his buster blade appears.

"Manabu!" Haley shouts as he leaps towards the two Knight's. While dodging Ryzar's first attack he jumps over Tyzar's low slash. He kicks one in the face while slashing at the other. Both of them stand there as if he had just struck a tree with a small stick.

"No way…" says Manabu as all hope seems to fade away.

"You have some life to you after all." Ryzar tells him while raising his buster blade into the air.

"Manabu!" Alister shouts while tackling Manabu from the side. Barely avoiding the buster blade.

"Look, the other one came out to play." Tyzar says while walking towards them. Manabu takes notice that Alister is still very tired.

"Rock on!" Alister shouts before he transforms. "Come and get it…!" Alister adds while breathing heavily. He dashes forward only not at his normal speed. As he clashes with the Boanerges Brother's his attacks are also weaker than normal. He knows this is because of how tired he is.

"You have to stop Alister! If he continues like this… he could seriously hurt himself! Or even worse than that…" Haley tells Manabu.

"But what can I do? You saw what my attacks did to those two! Compared to Alister I'm nothing! I'm weak! All I have is this saber… with hardly any skill with it at all!" Manabu says while watching them fight.

"Shockwave!" Alister shouts as a small wave hits Ryzar.

"Ha! This one is all out of juice!" Ryzar laughs while kicking Alister away.

"Aghh!" Alister cries out in pain while sliding across the ground.

"I have to try!" Manabu shouts while running towards the Boanerges Brother's.

"Look… he wants to tickle us some more." Tyzar says to his brother.

"I can't give up! I have to keep fighting until everyone is safe! Alister! Haley!" Manabu thinks to himself while jumping towards Ryzar and Tyzar. Suddenly there is a burst of light that separates Manabu and the Boanerges Brother's. The light is so strong that everyone had to look away including Ryzar and Tyzar. As the light dies down the Live Metal from below the ground is floating in front of Manabu.

"That's the Live Metal I showed you before!" Haley shouts. "So he is the chosen one for it after all!" she thinks while running towards Alister. He is knocked out again while still transformed.

"I am Model R, the Live Metal of honor and courage. You who is willing to sacrifice himself for others… have proven to be worthy of my power. If you intend to use my powers for justice, call to me." Model R tells Manabu. Instantly Manabu takes hold of the Live Metal and holds it in front of him.

"Rock on!!" Manabu shouts.

"Link established! ROCK System online!" Model R says as a ball of light surrounds Manabu.

"Hmph. So he thinks a new look will save him?" Ryzar mocks before a crescent shaped wave hits him suddenly.

As he flies back Tyzar prepares himself. Manabu steps out of the light in red armor. His legs are red with black going down the sides. His boots are red with a black trim at the base. His chest plate is half red and half black. The top and bottom part of the chest plate is black with a red arrow shaped mark in between that reaches all the way around him. On his waist there is a saber handle on his left and right. On his left side however there is a red sheath with an energy katana blade. His shoulder pads are curved at the top and reach out a bit. His helmet has a fin on each side of the head that only goes as far as the back of his head. The helmet is shaped in a diamond form around his head. The armor on his arms is all red with black trimming for his wrist guard.

"I will use this power to protect, I promise you Model R." Manabu says while leaning forward.

"I know it to be so Manabu." Model R replies as Manabu dashes forwards. He rams into Tyzar and sends him flying backwards crashing into Ryzar. The two of them stand to their feet as Manabu takes his time walking towards them.

"He's stronger than before…" Tyzar comments.

"We can still beat him!" Ryzar yells while bringing his buster blade to his side.

Manabu reaches for his saber on the left side of his waist with his right hand. With his left hand he reaches for the saber on the right side of his waist. As he slashes with them they extend. He then dashes towards the Boanerges Brother's as they rush him. The three swing towards each other, stopping each other from attacking. With his left saber Manabu is blocking Ryzar, Tyzar is being held back with the other saber. The thunder and lightning continue as they struggle to overpower the other while glaring at each other the entire time. Manabu then leaps back before slashing wildly with his sabers. This sends wave after wave at the Boanerges Brother's. They have a hard time blocking as a few of the blade waves connect with them.

"Just give up now!" Manabu shouts to them.

"Never! You will die along with your friends!" Ryzar yells while charging forward.

Tyzar follows him from a distance. Manabu then puts his sabers back before leaning forward while holding his right hand above the saber katana blade. As Ryzar attacks with his massive buster blade Manabu very quickly and swiftly pulls the saber katana from the sheath and attacks without even being seen. Manabu places the saber katana back in the sheath as Ryzar falls to the ground motionless, Tyzar then rushes up to attack next. He comes to a sliding stop while swinging his massive blade across Manabu's body. He disappears as the buster blade reaches behind Tyzar.

"Where did he go?!" Tyzar panics before looking behind him. Manabu is standing on the massive buster blade.

"You're too slow!" Manabu shouts before rushing forward on the buster blade. He pulls the saber katana from the sheath again and without being seen, nearly knocks Tyzar out from behind. At the right moment Tyzar disappears then appears next to Ryzar.

"We'll meet again! This city will not be safe until you two are dead!" Tyzar tells him before a bolt of lightning strikes. They vanish suddenly leaving only Manabu standing there.

"I did it… somehow…" Manabu tells himself while looking at his hands.

"Manabu…" Haley says from his left side. Manabu turns to see that she is helping Alister walk.

"Good job… Manabu…" Alister says with a thumbs up before passing out. He is still transformed as his body begins to glow a bit.

"He did way too much! We have to make sure his body stays cool!" Haley tells Manabu as he returns to normal.

* * *

**_End of Chapter 45_**


	47. Chapter 46: The Bounty Hunter In Black

**I recently read one of the reviews for Rockman ZW, posted by Kestril. Now while I can understand how he or she got the idea that my Zerowing character was a complete rip off from Wing Zero Gundam from Mobile Suit Gundam Wing by looking at the name,** **I can assure you that I did not create Zerowing from Wing Zero. In fact I don't even like Gundam Wing, it just never interested me. I created the name Zerowing from a Video Game called Armored Core 3 for the Playstation 2. In that game you can name the pilot of your mecha and name your mech as well. One of my strongest and fastest mechs was called Zerowing, because it gave zero mercy, and when I used the overboost (really fast boosters) it looked like it grew wings to fly with, Zerowing.** **Also the description for Zerowing would never pass for a copy of Wing Zero as I have seen the mobile suit before. The only thing that is even close to Wing Zero is the fact that they share the same green eyes, not even close to a complete rip off my friends.** **Thanks for the review Kestril and I hope that you read** **past the first few chapters to see this.** **I also hope for more reviews since I am 46 chapters into the story! God bless guys...**

**_Rockman ZW: Genesis_**

**_Chapter 46: The Bounty Hunter In Black_**

* * *

As numerous lights seem to pass over Alister's view he gets the sudden feeling of being pushed forward. He looks around to see Manabu and Haley, along with tons of other people running along side them. All of them wearing the desert clothes he and Manabu spotted before. Some have masks on while others have pilot helmets on, all of them are in the underground facility where Haley first showed Model R to Manabu.

"Where…" Alister starts as they stop for a moment.

"Don't worry about it Alister, we're getting everyone here to a safe place." Manabu tells him as Alister passes out again.

"He passed out again…" Haley whispers to herself.

"Miss Haley we really don't have the time to be waiting." one of her friends says while running towards a large ground base. It looks more like an extremely large train than anything. Armed with at least a dozen laser turrets Manabu is amazed as he helps get Alister aboard. There are dozens of windows and scopes all around it. The front of the base has a large laser cannon that looks like it can rotate all the way around just in case. Just the base by itself takes nearly a quarter of the underground facility.

"You're right… prepare the Altsien on the double! All fighter pilots are to proceed to their custom aircraft now!" Haley commands while throwing her left arm to her side.

"Yes ma'am!" they shout in reply.

Four uniquely dressed pilots climb up to their aircraft and prepare to launch. The jets there have four wings instead of two, each of them have at least six engines in the rear with two under the jet's body. The wings are shaped like an X but somewhat curved towards the nose of the jet. Each jet is equipped with two laser vulcans and heat seeking missile pods. They also carry two land based missile pods under the front of the jet. While three of the jets are red one of them is silver showing who the leader is. Six groups of twelve each get inside of a jeep giving them six land vehicles. Manabu rests Alister on a bed inside of a living quarters. There is a table between the two beds there, the bathroom is near the entrance to the room. While he turns on the light the base seems to begin moving, Manabu rushes out with Haley on his right.

"How do you expect to get out of here with this huge base?" asks a curious Manabu as Haley looks at him.

"We'll just drive it out of course!" she responds while getting inside of an elevator.

Manabu follows as she presses the button to go up. He takes notice that they are on level five. The elevator shoots up towards the bridge nearly knocking Manabu to the floor. Haley laughs to herself as the door opens, it is the command bridge. As she walks onto the bridge people turn around to salute her. The bridge looked like it was something out of a sci-fi movie. There are two drivers, one controls the left side of the base while the other controls the right side. These two have to be in unison or the base will not go anywhere. The driver on the left is a woman while the driver on the right side is a man. There is a large viewing screen above the drivers as well as an even larger window to see where they are driving. There is a control panel behind each driver with two women stationed there. Their job is to maintain the weapon systems for their perspective side. Behind the gunner control panels are two panels each, these are much larger than the gunner controls. The panels look like half of a circle closed around the one operating them. On the left and right side of the panel there are many monitor screens for viewing the outside of the base. In the middle area there are the controls to operate the monitors at a fast speed. There are two men on the right side while two women operate the left, between the monitor controls is two seats. The seat for the captain is raised a bit higher than the seat next to it with a small communication device on the right bottom side. Attached to the left side of the captain's chair and the left side of the seat next to it is a small control console as well. There is a rather large table in front of the captain's seat with a seat on the left and right side for meetings. There is a rail behind the captain's seat, that goes all the way around until stopping near the drivers. There is another floor behind the captain's seat that is for others to keep track of the bases temperature and maintain it. There are at least half a dozen workers up there.

"At ease!" she tells them as they return to work. One of the women operating the monitors walk up to her as she takes a seat in her chair.

"Captain, everyone has reported that they are ready to go at anytime." she reports while looking at a few pieces of paper in her hands.

"Alright people let's move out!" she shouts as everyone gets to work right away.

"Wow… I didn't know you were a part of some sort of secret military force or something…" Manabu says while leaning against the wall.

"What do you mean? We're not anything like that, we're not apart of any secret force… we are the secret force. Everyone you see here is a close friend of mine. They are here on their own choice, not by my order. I'm only the captain because they picked me to lead them. We have no rank system here, only the Captain and her right hand man." she tells him while offering him to sit down next to her.

"Are you serious? Why me?" Manabu asks with a shocked look. All around he takes notice of the people there smiling at him, some even standing up to salute him.

"It was decided a long time ago… by my father that the chosen one for that Live Metal would be the second in command for this base. That is you Manabu." she tells him while smiling at him.

"I guess…" Manabu replies as he sits down next to her feeling rather awkward being in command of so many people.

"This is the moment all of us have been waiting for! So let's get this show on the road!" Haley shouts as the drivers begin moving the base. They each pull a lever that is next to them in the floor. After that they begin to flip a few switches on the panel in front of them.

"Weapon controls are online." the woman at the left gunner console reports.

"Scanning systems are online as well." the man to the right of Haley reports.

"Altsien's core is all green, power flow is normal." a woman reports above Manabu.

"Open the doors to the tunnel!" Haley tells them.

In front of the base a group of four men rush to pull a large lever down. They finally get the extremely large door open as the base rushes past them. As soon as they make sure the base is through they separate and climb into their jeeps and drive through following the base. Manabu watches the tunnel, taking notice of the lights turning on in their path. He can't help but wonder if this base can withstand an attack from the Tera Knight's.

"Haley… are you sure it's safe to leave all of that stuff behind? In your secret underground area?" Manabu asks her.

"Of course not. We've already loaded the Altsien with everything from the facility. Now all that is left is to blow it up." Haley replies while nodding her head to someone behind her. The woman nods as well before speaking into the mic in front of her mouth. Suddenly there is a shake in the tunnel as they exit it finally. As the flames from the explosion rush up behind them the jeeps and jets make it out just in time.

"Blow it up?!" asks a shocked Manabu as the viewing screen displays the city in the distance. To the right of the city there is a large cloud of smoke showing where they use to be. The Altsien opens a large hangar door on the right side as the jeeps drive inside. The hangar door closes as the jets land on top of the base. After they land the floor under the jets lower and lead to the hangar down below. As the drivers and pilots all get out to greet each other, joyful faces appear everywhere.

"Good, now we can only look towards our goal." Haley speaks to herself as the viewing screen goes black.

"Where are we going anyways? Where is something this large going to go without going un-noticed by those Knight's?" Manabu questions her.

"We have another base hidden under City One, it's actually our main base. After meeting with them there we will attack the Tera Knight's and win back our world once and for all." Haley replies while looking him in the eyes.

"I see…" Manabu says while looking towards the glass in front of the drivers.

"It's going to be awhile before the cooks can prepare meals for a crew this size. Go check up on Alister and see how he is doing for now." Haley tells him.

"He's fine." Manabu replies as Haley snaps her head to him.

"That wasn't a suggestion." she snaps while glaring at him.

Manabu then jumps to his feet before rushing off of the bridge. Some of the people there laugh as Manabu presses a button in the elevator. He recalls being on level five from before so he presses the level five button. He also takes notice that there are a total of ten floors in the base. As he walks down the hallway towards the room with Alister inside he takes notice of the pilots walking around the area. They also take notice of him walking towards Alister's room. All of them are still wearing their pilot suits with their helmets under their arms.

"Hey Rockman." one calls to him while walking up. He has light blonde hair with green eyes. He has a scar on the right side of his face.

"Can I help you?" Manabu asks as the other three pilots walk over to him.

"We're the ace pilots of this base. I'm the squad leader William Strung." the leader greets while extending his hand to Manabu. Manabu shakes his hand while the other three prepare to do the same.

"My name is Lisa McGauran." a girl who looks much younger than Manabu shakes his hand. She has long red hair with a yellow bracelet on her left arm. Her eyes are a teal color.

"I'm Samuel Michael's. Haley is actually my cousin." a guy greets while gripping Manabu's hand rather firm. He has brown hair that only reaches to the top of his ears. He has brown eyes.

"I'm the runner up I guess. Ryan Philips is the name." a rather large man greets while shaking hands with Manabu. He has brown hair with green eyes. His hair is somewhat longer than Samuel's but has a beard.

"Well my name is Manabu Kaze, it's nice to meet all of you. I'm sure Alister will enjoy meeting you as well." Manabu tells them while walking into Alister's room. He sees that Alister is still resting but also takes notice that the light has been turned off. He figures that Alister got up to turn it off so he walks away. The door slides shut behind him.

"We figured we may as well greet you since we're going to be living on the same floor for some time." William tells Manabu.

"Same floor? You guys are the ones living next to us?" Manabu asks while looking behind them. Taking notice of some of their stuff piled into the doors.

"Yeah, that's right. I guess sometimes we'll be able to stay up late and drink until we're satisfied!" Ryan says with a large grin on his face.

"I'm not much of a drinker." Manabu replies as Samuel puts his arm around Manabu.

"That's good I guess, since you're second in command now." he tells him before suddenly Lisa pushes Samuel off of Manabu.

"Is that anyway to treat the second in command?" she asks him as Samuel jumps to his feet while saluting.

"I'm sorry sir! It won't happen again!" Samuel panics as the other three laugh.

"There's no need for that… you can treat me like anyone else on the base." Manabu tells them while having a stressed look. As they laugh about it Alister walks out of his room holding the wall.

"Hey now… I was trying to rest you know…" Alister tells them with a faint smile on his face. Manabu rushes over to him and puts Alister's arm around him.

"You alright with walking around right now?" Manabu asks him as the pilots walk up.

"Who are these guys?" Alister asks. As the time goes by they introduce themselves to Alister. They also explain the situation to him while laughing with each other at the same time. Manabu leads Alister to the bridge where he is greeted by Haley. She explains where they are heading and what the reason for such a trip is.

"I see… even so… how do you expect to take out the Tera Knight's with this moving fortress and a handful of attack vehicles?" Alister asks her while sitting down in a seat in front of Manabu. He rests heavily on the table due to still being weak.

"There is more than just a handful of us at City One. We will be ready for them as soon as we arrive there." Haley tells him.

"What if they attack us now?" Alister asks her as she looks away.

"We'll just have to make sure we make it to City One." Haley replies.

"Trust in the abilities of your friends Alister. They trust in yours as well." Model ZW tells Alister.

"Model ZW is right, all we can do is trust each other." Manabu speaks up.

"So you're really a Rockman now?" Alister asks as Manabu holds Model R in front of him.

"That's right. Now when you're fighting the Knights, I'll be there to back you up all the way. But for now you better let me do the fighting. You're in no condition to defend anything right now." Manabu tells him.

"I guess you got me beat there, no sense in arguing with that." Alister replies while wiping sweat from his forehead.

"You need to be resting for now. Go back to bed and let us handle things from here." Haley tells Alister as Manabu helps him stand up.

"Haley we have something on our scanners… it's just a person standing in our path." one of the women at the monitors reports.

"Put this person on the viewing screen." Haley tells her as the screen lights up.

It shows someone wearing a cloak. It looks like it has been worn down over time. He is wearing a helmet that is black with a fin on each side that curves and reaches an inch away from the back of his head. The fins color is yellow while the top part remains black. Where the ears are normally this person has a circle on each side that has red on the inside of them. The person also has a blue gem in the middle of the forehead area. As the cloak flips in the wind Haley thinks on how to handle this.

"Let's stop and see if this person needs help. Driver's get ready to come to a full stop!" she tells them as they prepare.

"I don't know about this…" Alister thinks to himself while watching the viewing screen. As the base comes to a stop the person in the cloak begins to walk forward, showing interest in the base.

"Send out a greeting team. Let's see what this person wants." Haley speaks over her com device. Soon they can see a jeep heading towards the person in the cloak. The driver steps out of the jeep as the others in the jeep get out with their laser rifles ready to fire.

"Hi there, do you need some kind of help?" the driver asks the one in the cloak.

"Yeah… is this the Altsien?" the one in the cloak asks with a dark voice.

"How did you… know about the Altsien?" the driver asks him with a shocked look.

"Hmph… thanks for the info." the one in the cloak replies before throwing his cloak back.

His body is all black with some lighter black going across his chest. His arms and legs are the same. His boots are white with yellow trimming above. Suddenly his right arm morphs into a buster gun. This catches them off guard as he brutally kills them all. Haley stands to her feet in horror at what just happened. The one in the cloak then starts to walk towards the base. Haley sits back down before reaching to call for more troops. Manabu then grabs her arm and pulls it away.

"Let me handle this one. If you send more out there they will just all be killed, I'll go." Manabu tells her before leaving the bridge. Alister moves to the elevator to go with him.

"I'll help too…" Alister tells him while holding the door open.

"You're in no condition to help out." Manabu replies before forcing Alister to move away. Manabu quickly presses the button to go to the top of the base. Alister returns to his seat and watches, hating every second that he can't do anything to help.

"Trust in Manabu, he can do it." Haley tells Alister while watching the cloaked person walk closer.

"I know…" Alister replies. A few moments later and Manabu is standing on the top of the base. He quickly finds a ladder that leads to the ground. He slides down it in a hurry and makes his way in front of the base. The cloaked person takes notice of him walking in front of the base.

"So they insult me by sending a lone soldier? How pathetic…" the cloaked person mocks while taking aim with his buster gun. He fires a round as Manabu deflects it with his saber. The cloaked person looks like he is impressed by this.

"I'm not just some soldier. What do you want from us?" Manabu asks him.

"I'm a bounty hunter… I have been paid to destroy this pathetic base." he replies.

"By who?" Manabu questions.

"It would be sloppy of me to reveal that to you. Who are you?" he asks Manabu.

"It's pretty sloppy to ask that before introducing yourself." Manabu replies while thinking that some of Alister's personality has rubbed off on him.

"My name is not important. If you beat me I will tell you my name. However… the name of a dead man is of no importance to me!" the cloaked person shouts before firing again. This time he fires a laser blast from his buster gun before Manabu leaps to the side to avoid.

"Manabu this is no ordinary bounty hunter, you need to merge with me." Model R tells him. Manabu then stands up from dodging another blast from the bounty hunter. He puts his saber away as the cloaked person walks closer.

"Are you giving up so soon?" he asks while stopping in front of him.

"Just the opposite! Rock on!" Manabu shouts as he holds Model R above his head.

"A Rockman? This makes things even more interesting!" the cloaked person says while watching. Manabu steps forward with his sabers drawn.

"Ready yourself." Manabu says while drawing his sabers from his waist. The cloaked person fires another laser blast as Manabu easily dodges. This time the cloaked person uses his left arm and makes a motion upwards. Suddenly a shockwave of ice hits Manabu freezing his legs in place.

"How is that possible?!" Manabu shouts while struggling to get free.

"I'm full of surprises… here is another!" the cloaked person shouts as he rushes up to Manabu. He stops in front of him before fire engulfs his left hand. He then uppercuts as a trail of fire also hits Manabu, throwing him back as he slides across the sand.

"What… are you?" Manabu asks as his body feels like he is on fire.

"I'm simply a bounty hunter… I have yet to find anyone stronger than myself… even those pitiful Knights pale in comparison to me!" he replies while sending a wall of electricity at Manabu.

"Aghh!!" he yells in pain while hitting the ground again.

"Manabu!" Alister shouts while standing to his feet before falling back down.

"Alister!" Haley shouts while helping him stand to his feet.

"Model ZW… please help me! Give me the strength needed to help Manabu!" Alister shouts as there is a barrier of light that suddenly surrounds Alister. This throws back Haley causing her to hit the floor.

"You can't even get close enough to me in order to use those sabers of yours. How do you expect to win?" the cloaked person asks him while his fist burns again.

"Who said anything… about getting close! Hah!" Manabu shouts while slashing towards the cloaked person. This sends two blade waves at him hitting him directly. Manabu takes notice that before hitting him the cloaked person sends another wall of electricity taking some of the attack away.

"I have to say I did not expect that, but now that I know of that attack… how do you plan on winning?" the person asks him while laughing. As the light disappears around Alister on the bridge he is no longer there with them. Suddenly a pillar of light hits in front of Manabu. Alister steps out as Black Rockman, looking at his hands and gripping his fists before looking at the cloaked person.

"Alister!" Manabu calls to him.

"It's alright Manabu, somehow Model ZW gave me a quick boost of energy." Alister tells him with a thumbs up. Manabu struggles to stand to his feet as Alister helps him up.

"How touching… do you really expect another Rockman to be able to help you in this situation? You two have no chance of beating me!" the cloaked person shouts to them. He then sends a wave of ice towards them. They both jump out of the way before sending a shockwave at the cloaked person.

"What?!" he shouts in shock while blocking the attack. As he flies back he flips over, taking special notice of his right arm sparking. He looks at his arm and sees that he can no longer use his buster gun.

"Had enough?" Alister asks him while getting into a fighting position.

"Hmph. Very well… I will leave you for now. Keep in mind that I will keep you from entering City One! You are not safe in this vast desert!" he tells them before turning around. He flips his cloak back over him before walking away.

"Wait!" Manabu calls to him. The cloaked person stops and turns his head to them.

"What?" he asks in a sharp tone.

"You forgot to tell me your name!" Manabu replies feeling like some sort of samurai spirit had taken him over.

"Forte." the cloaked person answers before walking away.

"Forte…" Manabu thinks to himself while returning to Normal. Alister does the same as they return to the base. They soon begin moving again towards City One. While on the bridge Manabu could not help but think about Forte.

* * *

**_End of Chapter 46_**


	48. Chapter 47: Return of The Thorns

_**Rockman ZW: Genesis**_

_**Chapter 47: Return of The Thorns**_

* * *

It has been a week since the appearance of Forte, since then he has shown up time after time attacking the base. He simply shows up out of nowhere and attacks the base with a powerful attack, before anyone can fight him back he is already gone, waiting for his chance to attack from the shadows once again. On his latest attack his fire waves melted through the metal of the base. This made a giant hole appear on the right side of the large moving fortress on the second floor next to the cafe. Since that hole has been opened Forte has not attacked them. This worries everyone on board the Altsien including the two Live Metal users.

"I have had enough of this!" speaks William while slamming his right fist on the table in front of him. Everyone there could see the anger filling his eyes while lifting his fist from the table.

"I know how you feel William but it's not like we can really predict where or when he will attack." Haley says in an attempt to calm her ace flyer down. As the two of them start to argue Alister and Manabu both close their eyes to recall the previous fight with Forte.

"Just what is this Forte? Is he another Rockman… like us?" Alister thinks to himself while his left eye brow twitches.

"I do not think so Alister, I did not sense a Live Metal on him. Whatever he is he is most certainly not a Rockman." Model ZW tells Alister as the Live Metal begins to blink a bit.

"Forte… what a powerful foe… if it wasn't for Alister… I could have been killed…" Manabu trails off in his thoughts while opening his eyes.

"Do not forget that standing alone is always more dangerous than fighting with someone." Model R speaks to him as Manabu closes his eyes again.

"Hey! You two!" Haley's voice suddenly rings in Alister and Manabu's ears as they open their eyes to find Haley with a very angry face.

"Have you two been listening to what we have been saying?!" she scolds as the two have a stressed look upon their faces.

"Uh… sorry…" they reply while hoping Haley doesn't do anything about it.

"Oh man… these two are off in their own world." jokes William while smirking to himself.

"I think we should have our men guarding the base twenty-four hours a day!" Haley suggests while crossing her arms. The look on her face was clearly showing she was not in the mood to be objected.

"I do not agree with that." Alister speaks up as Haley's face turns to anger. William shrinks back because he knows what is about to happen.

"What do you mean?! It's the best option!" Haley shouts to him before standing to her feet. Everyone working suddenly stops their work to listen in. Realizing she was losing her temper she sits back down while fixing her outfit.

"One of the rules of war is to wear down your enemy by small and constant attacks, keeping them alarmed and on watch at all times. If you were to place all of your guards on watch for that long they would sooner or later start to tire. If that were to happen Forte would have no problems with entering this base without being seen. I'm sure this is his plan." Alister tells them as William puts his right hand to his chin before thinking to himself.

"That's true… the same thing could be said about the amount of stress this is putting on all of us as well." William chimes in as Haley looks at the table while clenching her fists tightly.

"Then what… are we suppose to do? He's got us trapped within our own base!" speaks Haley as all suddenly feels lost to her. The four of them remain silent at the table as all of them are in deep thought. Manabu suddenly breaks the silence as he jumps to his feet nearly knocking Alister out of his seat.

"I have an idea!" Manabu shouts as the three of them, as well as the rest of the bridge listen closely.

"Well out with it Manabu!" William stresses him while getting an eager face.

"Alister do you remember when we encountered those ninja's in the desert?" asks Manabu as Alister soon catches on to his idea.

"I do! It's worth a try at least!" Alister replies while standing to his feet as well.

"Could somebody clue us in too?" asks Haley as a clueless look hits her and William's face.

"I'm going to need you William!" Manabu tells the pilot while running around the table towards him.

"Why me?" the ace flyer questions while pointing to his own face.

"I'm going to borrow your ace for most of the day Haley! Thanks!" Manabu tells her in excitement while pulling William away from the table nearly ripping his arm off.

"What's going on Alister…?" asks a rather confused Haley.

"Just trust Manabu on this one. He has a plan that will work." Alister comforts her while she gives a large sigh of frustration. Alister laughs a bit to himself before Haley begins to glare at him. Suddenly William and Manabu's faces appear on the viewing screen as Haley stands to her feet.

"William here. Go ahead and take us up to the deck." William requests as Haley nods her head. Although she is not clear what this is for. She pulls the small com device from her chair and tells the workers in the hangar to lift them up.

"Alister I'm counting on you to watch over everything while I'm gone!" Manabu tells him with a thumbs up.

"Sure thing Manabu, you can count on me." Alister nods his head while being amazed at Manabu's recent show of joy.

As the viewing screen goes black the jet they are in begins to slide out of place. They are inside of a red and black slender looking jet, much different looking than William's custom jet. It looks like any other jet except the wings are more slick looking. It has no weapons as it is meant to be for recon purposes. The inside of the hangar is basically a quarter of the base in the back part. In the middle are small garages meant to maintain the jeeps and land based vehicles. While above those garages on the sides is the aircraft maintenance. They almost look like bed bunkers created for the aircrafts only there are large beams connected to each floor, all over the place in a L shape. With at least seven floors of aircraft the workers are always checking everything to make sure they are ready in case of an alert. Pieces of jets and even some helicopters are laid out on the third floor as they are currently working to improve the speed of the two. William and Manabu are on the fifth floor on top of a large panel where the recon jet is at the moment. A couple of men give a few hand signals before giving them a thumbs up to launch. Suddenly the jet begins to move as William flips a few switches. Manabu watches while the lights inside the cockpit activate and slowly show the readings of the area nearby.

"Show me the coordinates Manabu." William suddenly speaks up while putting his pilot helmet on his head.

"Here you go." replies Manabu while handing him a map of the world. "Do you know where this is?" he asks the ace flyer while putting his own helmet on. It's a standard helmet with a dull blue color.

"Wow… all the way out there? Well… you're the boss. Let's go!" William says before putting his right hand up to his helmet. As he puts pressure on the right part of the helmet his helmets visor is activated. As it covers his eyes he gets a smirk on his face that doesn't feel so good to Manabu suddenly.

"Hey… you're going to take it easy on me… right?" Manabu asks while getting the feeling he is about to get very sick. He looks out of the jet to see that they are moving upwards all of a sudden. He looks below them to see the panel is lifting them up towards the deck. It's moving along the L shaped beam with a few uneasy sounds for Manabu to hear. On the deck there are a few men and women giving them the go for launch.

"This is William and Manabu, we're taking off now!" William shouts as they shoot forward. Manabu flies back against his seat while the jet climbs high into the air.

"Be careful William. We wish you the best of luck." Haley speaks over the com.

"Yes ma'am!" William replies as the link is cut between the two. Manabu is in the back not feeling so good at the moment. Inside of the Altsien the viewing screen shows them disappear into the vast sky.

"That jet sure is fast." Alister comments as Haley laughs to herself a bit.

"That jet is called the Type O. It was created by my father for recon. It is without a doubt the fastest jet we have to offer." speaks Haley as the viewing screen goes black. She then stands to her feet and walks up above where the other workers are.

"By the way Alister, would you like something to eat? It's almost past three and none of us have eaten anything because of the meeting. Care to join me?" she asks him as Alister's stomach begins to growl.

"Even if I was to say no to your offer I think my stomach would kill me for it." Alister replies while holding his stomach tightly. He stands to his feet while taking notice that Model ZW is blinking inside of his pocket. While walking up towards Haley he is starting to worry.

"Are you alright Model ZW?" Alister asks Model ZW inside of his thoughts.

"I will be fine. Healing you so quickly took a lot of energy out of me however. You must be careful if you are to get into a fight." Model ZW replies as Alister meets with Haley. The two of them enter the elevator while the workers take control of the bridge while she is gone. The two of them are silent as she presses the button for the second floor. Alister watches her facial expressions while the elevator moves downwards.

"Haley I wanted to give my thanks for looking after me so much." Alister starts the conversation.

"No need to thank me. I'm also a doctor, it's what I do." Haley replies with a smile.

"So how did Manabu manage to become second in command around here?" Alister asks with a curious look on his face.

"When my father created this moving fortress he also made the rule that who so ever claims Model R was to be the second in command. It has always been that way." Haley replies while seeming to blush a bit.

"You like Manabu don't you?" asks a rather blunt Alister as he watches her face turn to flustered.

"W-What?! Are you joking?!" she stutters while looking up towards the ceiling of the elevator. By the they arrive at the second floor Haley rushes out of the elevator as Alister chuckles to himself.

"Oh yeah… she likes him a lot." he thinks to himself while following her towards one of the largest kitchens he has ever seen.

All around him there are tables with trash cans next to them. The entire room is easily half the second floor as it needs to hold a lot of workers. The lights above them are a dimmer color than the rest of the lights in the base as it sets the mood to relax a bit. In the back the kitchen has dozens of cooks at work preparing meals all the time. The two of them walk over towards the cooks and grab themselves a tray for their food.

"Afternoon Captain!" the head chief greets while walking up to them wearing what any other cafeteria cook would. He is drying his hands with a rag at the moment.

"Good afternoon Ronald! Give us today's special!" Haley replies with glee while licking her lips.

"You got it!" Ronald replies before walking to their right.

He leads them to a row full of containers with steam rising from all of them. There are at least three dozen of them here, all of them full of the same food. Ronald lifts the first lid to reveal some curry with spicy sauce covering it. He lifts the lid next to that container to reveal lemon chicken with lemons on top of the chicken. As Haley and Alister load up on the very delicious looking food Ronald walks away to continue cooking for the others in the base. The two of them pick up a drink at the end and walk towards the nearest table.

"How long have you been a doctor?" Alister asks her while trying to lighten the mood a bit.

"Most of my life all I have known is how to treat wounds and be a scientist. I've worked all my life basically." she replies as Alister raises his right eye brow.

"What kind of science work do you do?" asks a curious Alister.

"Actually I have worked on Live Metal's a lot." Haley replies while taking a bite out of her curry.

"In what area of Live Metal? Do you actually know much about the Live Metal's?" Alister continues to ask as his curiosity has reached a new level just now.

"Yes actually. For an example I have been working on a way to improve the abilities of a Live Metal by fusing it with energy cores. This will result in a new form of transformation, I call it Rock Fusion. While using the power of the Live Metal the owner will have their own temporary supply of energy to help boost the powers of the two. However… I've never had a chance to experiment in this area." Haley replies with a lower tone of voice.

"Will it damage the Live Metal?" Alister questions while cutting his lemon chicken.

"Not at all. In theory, if anything, it will come out normal." Haley replies as she takes a drink from her glass.

"Come out? What do you do to the Live Metal?" asks Alister as he takes a drink from his own glass.

"I'd have to put it inside of a fusion chamber for at least a week before any results show up. The fusion is a slow process as it requires the Live Metal to actually soak in the energy around it. Like I said though… I've never been able to test this." Haley responds while finishing her curry. "The curry was really good today." she adds while dumping the remains in the trash can. Alister watches as the trash can suddenly starts to spark as the remains of her food disappear due to a laser grid.

"I'm sure you will find someone." he tells her while finishing his own meal. There was nothing to dump into the trash can as he was very hungry. As they bring their trays back to Ronald the base begins to shake. Haley trips and falls before Alister catches her in his arms.

"What was that?!" Alister shouts while the people in the kitchen run out. The two of them quickly run out of the café into the hallway. Shock hits their faces as Forte blasts away the men and women in that area.

"Hmph… all of you are weak and pathetic." he mutters while taking notice of Alister.

"Forte!" he shouts before instantly transforming.

Alister then dashes towards Forte who fires his buster gun towards his oncoming foe. Realizing that Alister will dodge every shot he takes aim at a new target. Haley tries to run away as Forte's shot hits her in her back left shoulder. She falls to the ground while crying out in pain. The cloaked hunter fires another round at her before Alister runs in front of the shot and deflects it back towards Forte.

"Impressive Black Rockman. I see you are not a weakling like your friend. However…" Forte says before throwing his cloak to the side. "I was just getting started!" he shouts while charging towards Alister.

Suddenly Forte disappears which shocks Alister. His foe appears behind him while upper cutting right into Alister's back. He flies forward and hits the floor hard with a small trace of blood at his mouth. Alister wipes the blood from his mouth and stands to his feet with his arm slashers extended. Forte smirks before disappearing again. As Alister looks around for his foe Forte appears behind him again, this time Alister rolls out of the way as Forte attempts another uppercut.

"Shockwave!" shouts Alister as he slashes across his left and right. This sends a large shockwave towards Forte who continues to smirk at his enemy. He simply holds up his left hand and blocks the shockwave completely. Alister is shocked to see this but continues to slash firing shockwave after shockwave. Forte walks a step closer with each block, each attack.

"I'm not impressed anymore." Forte tells him while sending Alister's next shockwave right back at him. "I'm not done yet!" he quickly adds while punching the floor. A bolt of electricity is sent along the floor towards Alister who is just recovering from the shockwave. He yells out in pain as he falls to the ground.

"Ugghhh… how…? How are you… so strong?" Alister asks him before losing his form as Forte walks slowly towards him.

"Hm hm… you cannot hope to defeat someone who is nearly as old as time itself. I have been through many battles over time with many victories. I have never lost a fight and I do not plan on letting you get away with the embarrassment you dealt the last time! I will take your Live Metal and crush it before I crush you Rockman!" Forte shouts before reaching towards Alister.

"Don't you dare touch Model ZW…" Alister tells him before a pillar of light suddenly knocks Forte back. Outside of the base the Type O is returning with a few extra packages under them. William and Manabu take notice of the pillar of light shooting out of the base.

"You see that?" William asks Manabu while his visor moves up.

"I sure do… Alister is in trouble." Manabu replies as they prepare to land.

"I'm not about to let you just take my Live Metal from me! Not ever!" Alister yells at him before leaping towards him without transforming.

As he is in mid-air he suddenly transforms again. Forte fires his buster gun at him as Alister takes his silver scarf and rips it off suddenly. He moves out of the way of the shot and wraps the scarf around Forte's head covering his eyes. Forte rips it off while Alister jabs his right arm slasher through Forte's left shoulder. To Alister's shock there was no blood coming from the wound. With rage Forte jabs Alister with his right elbow and knocks him back against the wall causing him to lose form again. Before Alister knew what was going on Forte was gone. Manabu comes running up at that time transformed and takes notice of Alister and Haley on the floor.

"Alister! Haley!" he shouts while running up to Haley. William follows soon after to help with carrying Haley to the sick bay to get her shoulder taken care of. Hours after that they all meet on the bridge to welcome their new troops. There before Haley and Manabu are Lariat and her ninja's. However June is not with them as there are some ninja's not present as well.

"Lariat it is with great honor that the crew of Altsien welcome you aboard." Haley tells her as the crew begin to clap and applaud.

"Thank you for your welcome Captain. We will do our best to help in the time of your need." Lariat replies while bowing to Haley.

"That reminds me Haley… I quit." Manabu suddenly tells her while everyone is in shock.

"Quit?! You can't quit you're second in command!" Haley shouts at him before standing to her feet. Manabu stands as well and walks over to Lariat who is curious to what is going on.

"Being the holder of Model R gives me the right to pick another to lead right?" Manabu asks her while raising his right eye brow.

"I suppose it does…" Haley replies while sitting back down.

"If that is the case then I choose Lariat to be second in command of the Altsien." Manabu reveals as everyone is in shock again.

"W-What?!" Lariat shouts as her ninja's talk among themselves.

"She is much more experienced in the area of leading than myself. It would be better for her to lead in my place." Manabu tells them while sensing the tension in the room.

"Very well. At this moment Manabu is no longer in second command. Lariat do you accept?" Haley questions her as Lariat thinks it over.

"I am honored… I accept." she replies while Manabu smiles to himself.

"You will be second in command but I will not take away your command of your ninja's. They are and will always be yours to command, not mine." Haley tells her while rubbing her shoulder wound.

"I thank you miss Haley." Lariat replies with a smile on her face. Alister suddenly steps forward and walks towards Haley who is showing Lariat how to work the controls of the seat she is in.

"Haley. I want you to make me and Model ZW stronger." he tells her shocking her quite a bit.

"Are you sure?" she asks him.

"Give us the power of Rock Fusion!" Alister tells her while handing her Model ZW.

* * *

**_End of Chapter 47_**


	49. Chapter 48: The Knight of Honor

_**Rockman ZW: Genesis**_

_**Chapter 48: The Knight of Honor**_

* * *

The very next morning Alister is inside of one of the many science labs on the first floor of the Altsien. Haley is with him while she is placing Model ZW inside of an energy chamber. The chamber has several thick wires attached to the left and right side of the chamber. There is a blue blinking light that shows it is in stand-by mode. When Haley closes the door to the chamber the blue light stops blinking before it turns a dark red color that does not blink.

"When this light goes away the upgrade of your Live Metal will be complete. Are you sure you want to continue? Like I have said before I have not tested this on anyone yet. You still have time to stop the upgrade." Haley says while checking the status of the chamber.

"I'm fine Haley. This has to be done if I am to protect anyone." Alister replies while closely watching Model ZW inside of the chamber.

"If that is the case then let me show you something. While I was preparing your Live Metal for the upgrade I was running scans of it. This is what I found." Haley tells him while handing him a clip board with three pieces of paper on it. The first showing the statistics of Model ZW, the other two show statistics of Live Metals that almost look like Model ZW.

"What do these two have to do with my Model ZW?" Alister questions while flipping through the papers again and again.

"It seems that your Live Metal has the potential to combine with other Live Metals. More specifically the two Live Metals that are already stored inside of your Live Metal.

"Stored inside of Model ZW?" Alister questions with a clueless look.

"Once you are able to use the Rock Fusion you possibly will be able to use the power from the other two Live Metals as well. Remember I said possibly as I am not sure yet." Haley tells him while scanning Model ZW again. There is a screen to their left that shows the progress of the scan.

"Those are the same images in the scan results you just showed me… I don't remember anything about them…" Alister tells her while holding his fore head.

"I will be down here until the upgrade is complete so please inform Lariat of this for me." Haley asks of him while writing down more results. Alister then walks out of the room as the sliding door shuts behind him swiftly. He makes his way to the bridge while walking past all of the other many science labs taking notice of how many are actually on the first floor. Upon entering the elevator Manabu suddenly catches the door to the elevator forcing his way inside.

"Hey Alister." he greets while catching his breath as Alister nods to him. As a few moments pass the two of them look forward without looking at the other. Finally, Manabu breaks the silence by nudging Alister with his elbow.

"What is it?" asks Alister feeling aggravated at the moment as his right eye brow twitches.

"So what are you doing with Model ZW?" questions Manabu while watching his friends facial expressions.

"I'm just preparing for the future that's all." he tells Manabu while pushing his elbow away with some force behind it.

"Is that why Haley is still on the first floor?" Manabu asks him with his left eye brow raised.

"Yes." Alister replies while keeping his face straight. As soon as Manabu is about ready to ask another question the elevator doors open, getting the attention of the entire bridge.

"Miss Lariat, Haley will be working down in the lab for some time. She asked me to inform the bridge that you will be in charge until she is finished with her work." Alister tells Lariat while walking up towards the rails. Manabu follows close behind before placing his hands on the railing next to Alister.

"Thank you for informing us Alister, I will try to make up for her." Lariat replies with a smile.

"Commander Lariat we're picking up some very strange energy spikes ahead of us." one of the female computer workers speaks up suddenly.

"Put it on the viewing monitor." she replies while also getting the joy of giving that order.

"Displaying now." the worker replies while typing very fast. As the screen lights up with the statistics of the upcoming area everyone is in awe.

"Just what are we looking at here?" Lariat questions as the energy readings are off the charts.

"There seems to be an extremely high amount of radiation in front of us. At the most the Altsien can withstand up to an hour of exposure to that level of radiation." the worker replies while continuing to type.

"Can you scan the entire radiation area? Show us some sort of path through it all?" Lariat asks while starting to feel uneasy. The monitors picture changes from the charts of radiation to a map of the area. It shows that the entire radiation area is just a small mountain but with many turns.

"There is no way around it. We have to go inside or be forced back a few weeks." another worker speaks up while mapping out the mountain.

"Very well then… move ahead with caution drivers. Follow the map all the way through." Lariat tells them while looking to Alister and Manabu.

"We'll be fine Lariat, don't worry about this." Alister tells her while giving her a smile as well as Manabu nods to agree with Alister.

"Thanks guys…" she replies with letting out a large sigh. As the Altsien slowly enters the mountain area a single black cloaked figure stands in the distance directly inside of the radiation.

"It looks like they will enter after all." Forte smirks to himself while watching with interest. "I suppose I should start." he adds as he suddenly rips off his cloak revealing black wings that have nothing between them. Only the jagged bone structure of the wings.

"Well old friend let's start." Forte says while jumping off of the cliff he was currently standing on. Before impacting the rock solid ground Forte shoots back into the air while heading towards the Altsien. Without another minute going by Forte unleashes an electric wave that hit's the command bridge directly.

"Is everyone alright?!" Lariat asks around the bridge as everyone stands to their feet.

"What was that?" Manabu asks while looking outside of the Altsien.

"Scanners are not working in the radiation. We're sitting dead in the water at this point." one of the male workers points out.

"Model R can we survive out there?" Manabu asks his Live Metal.

"Yes but not for long." Model R replies.

"That's good enough for me!" Manabu says while running to the elevator.

"Manabu!" Lariat calls out.

"Don't worry about me! You just worry about my position!" Manabu tells her before the elevator doors close. Alister just shakes his head back and forth with a stressed look on his face.

"Another direct hit should crack a section of the bridge open." Forte thinks out loud while preparing another attack. Suddenly Forte moves to his left to avoid a shockwave that was sent towards him. He looks down to see Manabu transformed sending even more shockwaves at him. Part of his left wing is clipped by a shockwave and sends him falling towards the ground.

"Yeah! Clipped his wing!" Manabu cheers as Forte picks up speed.

"Even when you have damaged me, I will still be able to destroy you!" Forte shouts to Manabu while crashing into the ground. From the Altsien it looked like a bomb had just detonated in the distance. As Manabu opens his eyes to look around Forte walks towards him with his wing sparking.

"What… power…" Manabu barely manages to speak while Forte picks him up by his throat.

"Manabu!" Alister shouts while he feels helpless from the sidelines.

"So this was your best shot? You're even more pathetic than the black one. What a waste of my time…" Forte says to him before throwing Manabu against one of the mountain walls. As he slams up against it a part of his helmet cracks off above his eyes. Blood begins to drip from the cracked area as Manabu wipes his forehead.

"Forte…" Manabu mutters while staggering to his feet.

"You still want to fight?" Forte asks him while turning around. To his surprise Manabu is directly in front of him slashing towards him with both of his sabers.

"Hold still!" Manabu shouts in a blind rage while clipping Forte's other wing. The black fighter leaps backwards while taking a look at the damage dealt to him.

"Not bad I have to admit. However you are still no match for me…" Forte tells him before dashing forwards with his hands sparking. He grabs Manabu by his shoulders, and unleashes a violent jolt of electricity on Manabu. As the red warrior falls to the ground a faint trail of smoke rises from his body. Forte laughs to himself before turning his attention to the oncoming Altsien.

"This is bad… I can't transform right now… how can we defend ourselves against Forte right now?" Alister thinks to himself while watching Forte nearing the base.

"Is there anyways we can get a team out to Manabu?" Lariat asks the crew.

"Not without confronting Forte." one woman replies.

"Blast it!" Lariat shouts while slamming her fist down on the console in front of her.

"Just a few more moments and I will have finally destroyed this base." Forte continues to boast before stopping in front of the base. He raises his hands into the air as they begin to spark again.

"Brace for impact!" Lariat shouts over the intercom as Haley looks up towards the speaker from her lab.

"What on Tera is going on up there?" she asks herself while continuing with her work.

"Stop it now!" a thundering voice can be heard from behind Forte. He stops his charge to turn around and face whoever is calling to him.

"Is that you red warrior? Have you come back for another defeat?" Forte asks as a figure appears in front of him wearing a green cape that is wrapped around him at the moment.

"Leo!" Alister shouts.

"I cannot allow you to harm this base! I will be your opponent Forte!" Leo tells him while throwing his cape to the side.

"Just who are you?" Forte asks him.

"My name is not important to something about to leave this world!" Leo replies while charging him in a blur of speed. In an instant his right arm slasher extends and slashes through Forte's arms nearly cutting them off. This throws Forte to the ground with sparks flying from his shoulders.

"I see… so you are the strongest of them all… I will be back to fight with you personally…" Forte tells him before his body begins to glow. He disappears in a beam of light as Leo turns to pick Manabu up.

"Get ready to receive Manabu right now!" Lariat commands as Alister is already in the garage waiting for Leo and Manabu. Half an hour later Manabu is resting peacefully in the sickbay with bandages wrapped around his head. There is a dark red spot on his forehead showing that he was really hurt. Alister and Leo both stand to the side of Manabu's bed watching him closely.

"Why did you come back?" Alister breaks the silence as Leo turns to him.

"Something… called me here. I cannot explain it." Leo replies as a few members of the Altsien crew listen in from outside the door.

"Is this a trap or have you left the Tera Knights?" Alister asks him as everyone outside begins to panic.

"I assure you this is not a trap. However I have not left the Tera Knights." Leo replies while turning back to Manabu.

"That guy is a Tera Knight?!" the crew whisper among themselves outside of the room.

"Why is it that you did not transform and help Manabu? Is there something wrong with your Live Metal?" Leo questions.

"Model ZW is going through some changes right now. I won't be able to transform for at least a week." Alister replies.

"That is a long time to go unprotected. I will protect you until that week is up." Leo tells him while everyone outside continues to talk among themselves.

"What's going on here?" Haley asks the crowd outside as they all run off to continue their work.

"This won't be good…" Alister mutters to himself as Haley walks through the door.

"What is he doing here?!" Haley shouts while pressing the security button next to the door. Almost instantly the entire room is swarming with guards.

"Haley stop this! He just saved Manabu's life! Is this how you would repay him?" Alister asks her as the guards all take aim at Leo.

"Grateful or not he is a Tera Knight! He must be killed for the good of this world!" Haley replies before Leo slowly walks forward.

"Stop right there or we will shoot!" the guards all shout.

"Haley is it? I can assure that I am not here to hurt any of you. Quite the opposite in fact, I wish to help." Leo tells her as she looks towards Alister.

"How can I trust a Tera Knight? Tell me Alister!" she questions him while shooting her eyes back to Leo.

"If he was here to kill us he would have done so already! I have witnessed his power before! Even if your men were to open fire on him they would not be able to even put a dent in him! We can trust him Haley! Trust me!" Alister replies to her question as she closes her eyes to think about it for a moment.

"Alister… I just can't… trust him…" she says while looking to her side.

"Haley please!" Alister shouts to her.

"Put him in the prison hold for now. I'll decide on what to do with him later." she tells the guards as they surround Leo almost instantly.

"Haley!" Alister rushes up to her while grabbing her arm.

"That's enough Alister!" Leo shouts to him scaring most of the guards witless.

"You're not an enemy!" Alister shouts back.

"That is no way to treat a lady Alister. I will go along with her choice. She is after all your captain correct?" Leo asks as Haley then leaves the room in a storming rage, followed by her prisoner. Alister follows close behind as most of the crew is now following them. Most of them are giving Alister a mean look as some just look at him with a disappointed look.

"This is just ridiculous…" he thinks to himself while looking away from the crew. Leo just calmly walks with the guards while looking around him at the people watching him.

"I see. So this is how you have survived as long as you have." Leo thinks out loud as Haley stops.

"Why is it then?" she asks him without turning around to face him.

"You are all strong on your own but together you stand even stronger. Nothing in this world can break that." Leo replies to her as she suddenly turns around.

"Release him." she tells the guards as they hesitate to follow her order.

"But Haley… he is…" one starts as Haley walks closer to them.

"Are you questioning my order?" she asks him while getting in his face.

"N-No… not me…" he replies as the guards all storm off not too happy about Haley's choice.

"Let this be known, as long as Alister can trust this Tera Knight… so can we. I'm not sure if I will regret this choice later on or not but I trust Alister. Show him around and make him feel at home." she commands her crew. She gets no reply as they all walk away without a reply.

"Might I ask… why are you doing this miss Haley?" Leo asks her.

"Kindness is something that is given. Someone told me that once… I've lived by that phrase all my life." Haley replies before heading back to her lab. Instantly after Haley had replied to Leo an image of Model ZW suddenly appears in Leo's thoughts. As soon as the image had appeared Model ZW breaks into pieces before Leo shakes his head.

"What was that?" he thinks to himself while holding his forehead.

* * *

**_End of Chapter 48_**


	50. Chapter 49: Destination

_**Rockman ZW: Genesis**_

_**Chapter 49: Destination**_

* * *

The air is filled with sand as the drivers of the Altsien base have a difficult time navigating through the mountains. Finally after the somewhat long trip through the mountain full of radiation, the large base finally pulls away from the mountain. The command bridge is silent as Lariat rubs her forehead again and again while Leo stands next to her. Everyone on the bridge is uneasy due to his presence and he is aware of that fact.

"How long until we reach City One?" asks Leo while taking a few steps forward. The tension on the bridge was so much that even Lariat could feel it.

"Well? He asked you a question!" Lariat snaps at the workers.

"At least another day…" a woman replies while glaring at Leo who just sighs to himself before entering the elevator. As the door closes everyone goes back to work as if nothing had happened.

"I suppose I cannot blame them… it is not as if I am proud of my past actions… if anything I am here to make up for those terrible days…" Leo mutters to himself while wrapping his cape around him. A brief image of a scarf flipping in the wind appears in his mind. He shakes it off while bringing his hands in front of his view.

"What is this memory…" he asks himself while looking at his shaking hands. The door opens to the top of the Altsien base where Alister is already standing near a railing. Upon hearing the elevator door open he turns around to see Leo walking towards him.

"Greetings Alister. I see I am not the only one who enjoys the somewhat fresh air." speaks Leo while walking up next to him.

"It was a long night…" Alister replies while turning back around.

"Is there something troubling you my friend?" asks Leo as he turns his head.

"A dream… sometimes I dream of a woman… she tells me it is time to get up… or it is time for school… other dreams involve growling beasts attacking me while there is an extremely bright light in the sky… there is only darkness after that…" Alister tells him while looking down.

"I see… you are lucky." Leo replies to his explanation.

"How is that?" questions Alister as the wind picks up.

"When I dream… I am not even aware of my surroundings. They are always the same… dead bodies everywhere as a scarf flips in the wind in front of me…" says Leo while looking forward.

"Why does it all mean? Why is the sky like it is? Why does everything feel so wrong all of the time?" Alister questions while looking up.

"If only it were that easy…" Leo mutters to himself.

"What was that?" asks Alister as they can suddenly hear beeping coming from his pants. He reaches into his left pocket and pulls out a communicator.

"Alister this is Haley. Come to the lab, I think you will be pleased." she tells him.

"I'll be right there Haley." he replies before putting the communicator back in his pocket.

"Care to come with me?" Alister asks the Knight as the wind picks up again.

"I am curious I have to admit." Leo replies while following him to the elevator. The two of them arrive at the lab as Haley turns around only to glare at Leo.

"What is going on Haley?" Alister asks her as he can clearly see the bags under her eyes due to not having any sleep.

"The upgrade of your Live Metal is complete actually. It didn't take as long as I thought…" Haley tells him while glancing at Leo who is standing behind Alister.

"That was fast… I thought it was suppose to take a week or so?" asks Alister while looking towards his Live Metal. It is still inside of the energy tank as the mist inside suddenly disappears.

"I want you to see something, take a look at this." Haley says while pulling up a screen on her laptop. As the three of them huddle around the screen it shows Model ZW with another red Live Metal next to it. There are energy bars on both sides showing which Live Metal is giving off more energy.

"So what is this about?" questions Alister while looking towards his Live Metal again.

"This is showing that there is another Live Metal assisting Model ZW in the upgrade. It was also absorbing nearly half of the amount of energy that Model ZW was. The third Live Metal is simply dormant, slowly but surely gaining a little bit of energy at a time." Haley tells him.

"I was not aware that a Live Metal could contain so much." Leo speaks up.

"Nor was I." Haley nearly snaps back while facing him. She then walks over to the energy tank and opens it before grabbing Model ZW.

"Al…ister…" a deep and dark voice echoes through Alister's head as he holds his head with both of his hands.

"Alister? What is wrong?" Leo asks him while moving towards him.

"I… don't know… there was a voice just now… I can't explain it." Alister replies as Haley walks up with Model ZW.

"Go get some rest. I know I'm going to do the same thing, see you later." she says before leaving the room.

"Welcome back." Alister says to Model ZW while placing it inside of his right pocket.

"Well I suppose we are fully ready for whatever that Forte character has up his sleeve." Leo says while placing his hand on Alister's left shoulder. Later that day even Manabu manages to find his way to the bridge. With a bandage wrapped around his head he staggers onto the bridge as Alister rushes to his side.

"Are you sure you can be walking around like this?" he asks his friend.

"I'm fine Alister… really…" Manabu replies as Alister sits him down in front of Lariat.

"Miss Lariat we have something on radar again. I think it is that black hunter again…" one of the male workers report as Alister watches the screen closely. It is Forte as he stands in the path of the Altsien base.

"I'll go. Besides I need to test the limits of the upgraded Model ZW anyways." Alister says before running to the elevator.

"Yes… power… you crave power I see…" a dark voice echoes through his mind again.

"Did you say something Leo?" Alister asks the Knight.

"Do you require assistance?" he asks while Alister shakes his head.

"No, I will do this alone." Alister replies as the elevator door closes.

"This is becoming a bad habit…" Lariat tells herself as Alister appears on the field a few moments later.

"Well look at this… it's the other Rockman. Come to get your butt handed to you did you?" Forte asks him with a smirk.

"If I recall correctly your butt was handed to you in your last fight." Alister snaps back with a smirk of his own.

"Hmph." Forte replies with an angry look this time.

"Enough of the small talk Forte. Just go back where you came from, we don't want any trouble." Alister tells him while grabbing Model ZW from his pocket.

"Attack… attack him… do it now…" the dark voice echoes once again.

"I have to stop your base from arriving at City One! It is my mission!" Forte shouts to him while taking aim with his buster gun.

"Use my power… call to me… Rock Fusion…" the dark voice speaks to Alister as he holds Model ZW in front of him.

"Rock Fusion!" Alister shouts as he throws his arms to the side. As a not so bright light surrounds him his arms begin to twitch a bit while his armor forms. Soon his legs begin to shake as the armor forms slowly. He lowers his head as his helmet forms while a face mask covers his face. Alister then gets into a fighting position before throwing his arms to the side once again. This creates a massive shockwave of sheer power that is sent towards Forte.

"What… is this?!" Forte shouts while holding his left arm up to block the shockwave.

"Amazing… this power is unreal… it's nothing I have ever experienced! This is the power of Rock Fusion!" Alister shouts before dashing towards Forte, who leaps backwards into the air to avoid Alister.

"What is going on here?!" Forte continues to panic as Alister leaps towards him at great speed.

"You can't get away from me this time!" Alister yells while slashing towards his foe with all of his might. Forte blocks the attack but is sent flying towards the ground in nearly an instant. As Alister lands in front of him sparks begin to fly from Forte's body as he stands to his feet.

"Well… you're not as easy to kill as I thought…" Forte tells him while the sparks continue to fly off of him. Alister simply stares at him while not moving. Forte watches him before he holds his right arm up to form his buster gun.

"Let's just see how strong you really are ROCKMAN!!" Forte screams before firing. The blast hits Alister directly as Forte smirks at his perfect shot. As the smoke clears Alister is still standing there in the same position before he was hit.

"Is that all?" Alister smarts off as Forte grows angry.

"Die Rockman!" Forte shouts while firing multiple blasts at his enemy. Alister uses his hands to block each of the attacks, shocking Forte to the point to where his buster gun is shaking a bit.

"How can this be?! This is impossible!" Forte thinks to himself.

"Kill… kill him… do it now…!" the dark voice whispers to Alister as he starts to walk forward. Suddenly Forte unleashes an electric wave that hits Alister directly. It stops him dead in his tracks as Forte begins to smirk again.

"I wouldn't get so excited." Alister tells him before extending both arm slashers. He pulls his arms back before rushing forwards with them. This sends the electric wave back at Forte who is also hit directly. As his sparking body falls to the ground Alister glares at his foe while walking very slowly towards him.

"Did you like the taste of your own attack?" Alister asks him before kicking him over.

"You… have changed… you are not the same as before… an evil influence… has corrupted you!" Forte tells him before Alister kicks him in the face.

"That can't be! This power… it feels great! This is something you cannot understand!" Alister shouts to him before everything goes dark suddenly. He blinks while wondering what just happened. He blinks again as everything becomes clear just as fast as it had gone dark. There in front of him was Forte lying in pieces. His arms are separated from his body and cut to pieces while his legs are hanging by power cords. Forte's face is cracked and sparking wildly as he looks to Alister.

"To think… I would be defeated… by you… once again…!" Forte struggles to speak before his eyes go pure white, showing that he has deactivated. Alister looks around being confused with what just happened.

"What… what happened here? What did I do?" he asks himself as Leo appears behind him.

"Alister…? Why did you go this far?" Leo asks him while throwing his cape behind him.

"I-I don't know L-Leo… a v-voice… something telling me… k-kill… kill… destroy… destroy everything! All must burn and die!!" Alister screams before a blood red light engulfs Alister's body.

"Alister!" Leo calls to him while holding his right arm out. Alister lets out another scream but this time of agony and pain.

"What is that red light?" Lariat asks Manabu as the entire bridge stops their current work to watch the viewing screen.

"I don't like this at all… there is something evil about that light…" Manabu mutters to himself.

"That is the light of destruction, the bringer of death is in that light." Model R speaks to Manabu as his owners eyes open wide.

"Alister! Can you hear me?!" Leo calls to him again.

"Alister is no more!" Alister's voice replies back but in a much deeper and darker tone. The light finally dies down as Alister steps out of the light but something is very different about his form. There is red covering his thighs and arms. On his helmet there is a spike on each side of the helmet that sticks upwards just like the first spike, but a bit slanted backwards. His silver scarf looks the same but a bit torn and ripped at the end.

"What… are you?" Leo asks him while taking a closer look.

"You are… the original… yes I see it now… I know you better than you think…" he tells Leo while smirking.

"Original?" asks Leo while taking a step closer to Alister.

"Yes… you would like to know wouldn't you? I can help you there…" Alister tells him before instantly appearing in front of Leo. He simply touches Leo's mask before the Knight staggers backwards while holding his head and swinging it wildly.

"What did you do to me?! What did you do?!" he screams while falling to the ground.

"Enjoy the nightmare that lives within you!" Alister laughs before disappearing from view.

"Go get them now!" Lariat commands the crew as Manabu stands to his feet.

"Them?" he asks her while giving a curious look.

"Yes! Forte as well! We may be able to save him if we act quickly!" Lariat replies as the workers move quickly to give orders to the rescue team. Minutes later Manabu makes his way to the garage area where the rescue team is bringing in all of the pieces of Forte in many boxes. Leo is brought inside on a stretcher, silent and still without movement at all.

"Is he alright?" Manabu asks them while running up.

"He was like this when we arrived. He hasn't moved a bit." the one on the left replies.

"Take Leo to the sick bay! Take Forte to the lab below! I have already informed Haley on the matter at hand!" Manabu commands them as they quickly respond to his orders. As a few minutes go by Manabu nearly passes out while leaning against the wall to catch a breather.

"Are you alright?" one of Lariat's ninjas asks him while walking up to him.

"I don't know… what is going to happen from here?" he asks her while looking up.

"I'm not sure about any of that… we will get through it all in the end." she replies while patting him on his left shoulder. She then walks away as Manabu pushes his body away from the wall to walk away.

* * *

**_End of Chapter 49_**


	51. Chapter 50: Nightmare

_**Rockman ZW: Genesis**_

_**Chapter 50: Nightmare**_

* * *

Leo still lies motionless in the bed that holds him currently. He has been asleep for nearly twenty-four hours now, a full day has gone by. Leo is falling towards a small light inside of a dream. He cape falls off of him due to the pressure of the wind flying past him. As the light draws closer he can hear insane laughter all around him. He looks around to try and find the source of the laughter, but to no avail he cannot find the source. The light engulfs him in an instant as he finds himself in a familiar setting. He opens his eyes to see a scarf flipping in the wind in front of his view. Just like before there is a massive amount of bodies lying on front of his view.

"What is this… why do I dream about this again?" Leo thinks to himself as his view shifts towards a man that is struggling to move. He is missing his left leg and is bleeding all over his body.

"What happened to him?!" Leo thinks while his view gets closer to the man.

"Please…! Stop! Don't do this!" the man pleads towards Leo who is holding what looks like Alister's left arm slasher.

"What am I doing?! Stop this madness!" Leo shouts before picking up the man by his head.

"Please NO!!" the man screams before the arm slasher goes right into the mans neck and out the other side. The man grabs Leo's arm before going motionless. As the blood spews out of the mans neck the blood runs off of the arm slasher.

"Is this what my dream has always been about?! Who am I?! Just what have I done in the past?!" Leo shouts as his view goes black for a moment. He can then hear laughter all around him but this time it is a gentle and soothing voice that calms him down as he searches for the source. There is a light to his left that passes by him, he looks around again to see a desert area. He looks to his right to see a girl with red hair that is flowing in the wind.

"Isn't this nice? We've left that city behind us! Now we can focus on things ahead of us!" she tells him while smiling to him.

"Who is this girl…? Why is she talking to me?" Leo thinks as he looks ahead. They are inside of a moving vehicle at the moment, he is driving as well. He looks up towards the sky but to his shock it is clear with the sun beaming down on them. He looks directly towards the sun which blinds him for a moment. When he is able to look around he finds himself fighting off an extremely fast wolf looking creature that had jagged sharp claws and teeth.

"How dare you touch me human!" it howls at him while dashing past him. Leo can feel a sensation of pain at the wolfs tail barely slashes through his leg.

"Is this who I use to be…?" Leo asks himself as the light blinds him. He looks around again to that same girl smiling at him across the table from him. She is wearing a white dress with no sleeves at the moment. Suddenly there is an explosion nearby that causes Leo's view to shift in the other direction. He looks around before leaping off of what appears to be a building he was in. A few moments later he rushes to the scene of the explosion only to find what looks like a griffon attacking everything in sight. As soon as the griffon looks to him the light blinds Leo again.

"I have no memory of this at all… this must be my past life! Who am I…?" Leo asks himself.

Leo opens his eyes to see the red headed girl leaning over him with a rag in her hands. She is shocked to him waking up and leaps backwards as Leo looks to her. She is in a fighting stance as Leo gets out of the bed he is in. There is a light in the window to her left as he is once again blinded by it. His view shifts to a green warrior with four cannons.

"Come on!" the green warrior shouts before firing all four cannons at him. As Leo can see his arms block the attack he is thrown backwards on the ground. He can see missiles raining down on him as the blast causes his view to blacken again. The insane laughter picks up again as Leo looks around to try again to find the location. He blinks to see a man about his size standing in front of him with a scythe.

"You should have joined me! Now you will regret it Black Rockman!" the man shouts to him while slashing wildly at him.

"Black Rockman?! Is that… who I am?! Is that what Alister meant as… original?" Leo asks as there is yet again another light that blinds his view.

"Alister… wake up Alister…" the girl with red hair calls to him as he opens his eyes again. He rises from the floor as the girl stands in the kitchen preparing food for someone.

"Did you sleep well Alister?" she asks him while a smile while walking towards him.

"Alister…? This just cannot be… then who is the one with the Live Metal now?" he asks himself while looking around. This time his view darkens before it lights up again. He is holding the girl in his arms as she is struggling to breath. Leo looks towards his arms which are covered in the girls blood.

"Alister… live on… without me… that is what I wish for…" she tells him before closing her eyes. The next thing Leo knew he was killing countless people, destroying numerous cities by fire. Leo looks around as he can only watch as he kills so many people. The next image he gets is him facing down what appears to be an entire army that is charging towards him. He leaps off of a cliff that he was standing on and fires two cannons that begins to instantly cut through the army. As the army disappears from view he can make out people standing in the distance. He blinks only to see himself hold a girl while she is crying over the loss of her friends in that previous battle. He blinks again to see that he is watching a screen with a woman that has blonde hair.

"Hello Sara… Isaac… if you are watching this then I am sure you are wondering who you are at this moment…" the woman says as Leo continues to watch. A few minutes go by as Leo learns of what his dream finally means… who he really is, finally able to understand everything. There is another light that comes from behind him that quickly passes by him. It is raining all around him as he can make out a familiar green figure that is lying on the ground.

"That… is me…?" Leo asks himself as his view circles around his own body. His view suddenly rushes towards his body before Leo wakes up in the sick bay. He looks around to see that the lights are off with a single nurse standing in front of a computer with a clip board in her right hand. Leo sighs as he gets out of his bed.

"You're awake! I'll go get the Captain right away!" she exclaims before running out of the room.

"So that is what the dream meant… this entire time… I am the same as Alister… the original Black Rockman." he mutters to himself as Manabu and Haley walk into the room while turning on the lights.

"Are you alright Leo? You've been out for some time now…" Manabu tells him as Leo stands to his feet.

"I'm sorry but can you not call me Leo anymore?" he asks them which shocks them a bit.

"What else would we call you?" Haley asks him as he holds his hands up to his mask.

"From now on… I am…" he starts before pulling his mask away from his face. "Isaac." he finishes while dropping the mask. He has somewhat long brown hair with crystal blue eyes with a soothing look to his face.

"Isaac?" they ask as he walks past them.

"I am sorry to leave so suddenly but there is something I must do. I will return with Alister returned to normal. Until then my friends…" he tells them while walking out of the room.

"Alright… that was really odd…" Manabu says as Haley walks out of the room. Manabu follows her to the lab that has Forte and his parts lying on a table. Outside of the Altsien Isaac is standing on a cliff nearby with his cape flipping in the wind.

"Angeline… I will live… for you…" he says before pulling his cape around him while walking away from the Altsien.

* * *

**_End of Chapter 50_**


	52. Chapter 51: New Life

_**Rockman ZW: Genesis**_

_**Chapter 51: New Life**_

* * *

Lights whizzed quickly over head while a loud buzzing sound could be heard. Forte picked up his cracked head and looked from side to side as Haley forces him to put his head down suddenly. As the damaged robot looks around he quickly deactivates again.

"Wake up!" an old mans voice echoes through his head as he opens his eyes. Forte looks around again to see an old man in a white lab coat standing next to him with an extremely large grin on his face.

"Where… am I?" Forte asks as he holds his head.

"You are my robot and this is my base! I created you for one purpose and one alone!" the old man cackles to him while putting down a screw driver.

"What is that reason?" Forte questions as he slides off of the table he was on as the old man turns to him.

"To defeat… Rockman!" the old man replies before letting out an evil laugh.

"Hand me that device right there!" a woman's voice suddenly comes through as Forte opens his eyes again. He looks around to see Haley quickly at work attempting to fix his internal circuits. Forte attempts to raise his right arm to stop her but quickly realizes that he has no energy at all. As his arm drops with a heavy clank noise he deactivates again.

"Treble?" Forte asks the mad doctor as the old man walks over to a large glass container which holds a wolf like robot animal which is not complete at the moment.

"Yes, he will be your aid in the destruction of Rockman! Treble will be your partner in crime!" the old man cackles again.

"I don't need any help." Forte smoothly replies as the old man suddenly loses his humor.

"You will do as I say robot! I am your master!" the old man yells as Forte walks away without saying another word.

"There, that should do it." Haley speaks as Forte opens his eyes once again. He raises up from the table he was lying on to see Haley and Manabu glaring at him from a safe distance in the lab room.

"Am I your prisoner?" Forte asks them while standing to his feet.

"That depends on how you act." Manabu replies while watching his every move.

"I see... so do you expect me to stop following you because you helped me out, is that it?" Forte asks while walking towards them. Suddenly he is thrown back due to an extremely powerful shield put in place. Forte's right arm twitches as he falls to the ground because of the power of the force field.

"No, we don't expect anything from you." Haley replies while pressing a button on the wall to her left.

"What are you doing Haley?!" Manabu panics as the force field blocking Forte disappears. The robot very quickly stands to his feet and continues to walk towards the two humans in his path.

"You don't expect anything? You even give me your trust of letting me go even though I could snap your necks in an instant?" he asks them while holding his left hand towards them.

"I believe if you had those kind of intentions… you would have done so already." Haley replies as shock hits Forte's face.

"Why trust me…?" he asks again.

"This would not be the first time I have trusted the enemy." she replies while looking towards the mask of Leo.

"Hmph… whatever, I'm out of here." Forte says as he scoffs at them. While walking past them he suddenly stops to look at Haley.

"What is it?" she asks him with a snappy tone.

"Thank you… for your kindness." he replies before leaving the room. Manabu and Haley are basically in shock after hearing those words.

"Whatever you did during the repairs it seems to have made him an all around better robot." Manabu says while rubbing his head.

"He's not a robot… a reploid…" Haley mutters to herself before a beeping noise interrupts her thoughts.

"Haley, Forte is wanting out of the base… should we let him go?" a female voice comes through.

"Let him go." she replies after pressing the button on the walls com device.

"To think they would actually help me…" Forte thinks to himself as he leaps out of the Altsien base.

"Am I really going to let them go like this?" he thinks to himself as the base disappears into the distance. Forte hangs his head in deep thought before taking to the air. He quickly flies over the Altsien base as he lands hundreds of miles away from it a few minutes later.

"Hmph… I haven't been this fast in years… that woman must be skilled." he thinks as he looks ahead. In front of him is a small town with a wall surrounding the sides. As he walks towards it sphere's on metal tentacles shoot from the ground. All four of them move towards Forte with eyes suddenly opening from them. They shoot red beams towards him and begin scan his body.

"ID confirmed, welcome back Forte." a voice speaks through the sphere on his left. Forte continues on his way before children rush out towards him. Forte stops as they surround him with shouts of joy.

"Go back inside it is not safe out here." he tells them as they all let out a sigh. A man with a long beard and no hair walks out in a green robe with a wooden staff. He has teal eyes that have seen a lot throughout the years.

"Well well… as I live and breath. It has been awhile since your last visit Forte. What brings you out here to our small town?" the old man asks as Forte walks closer to him.

"I need a check up." the robot replies as the kids run past him.

"Very well, let us go inside then." the old man replies as he turns around. Forte follows him to a house in the back of the town. The town is very small and only has up to ten homes including the old man's home. His house is in the back center of the street with a small well in the back. Everyone in the town begins to take notice of Forte walking with the old man. They walk out into the streets to shout at him, or walk behind them.

"What are they doing?" Forte questions the old man.

"They are happy to see you Forte." the man answers as he opens the door to his home.

"Hmph…" Forte replies as he enters the house. The old man shuts the door as the crowd outside walks away to continue with their lives. Forte walks over to a table and lies down before it makes it look like he is standing against a wall.

"Now let me see here…" the old man begins as he opens Forte's chest. He presses down on the blue gem as it opens to the side.

"Why… these parts all look brand new Forte. There is no reason for you to be here at all…" the old man tells him.

"I do not trust the last person that repaired me." Forte tells him.

"If that is the case I will do a complete checkup." the man says as he puts his staff against the wall behind Forte. As the time passes by Forte deactivates himself so the old man can work.

"Forte! Why must we fight?! We are not enemies!" a blue robot shouts to Forte as he lunges forward with his arm buster ready.

"Shut up!" Forte shouts as he fires towards the blue robot. His foe returns fire as a bright light wakes Forte from his hibernation mode. The old man is finishing his checkup by washing his hands clean of the oil.

"Was there anything wrong?" Forte asks as he closes his chest.

"Not at all. I have to say whoever repaired you is extremely skilled. This person has even boosted several of your already outstanding abilities. I dare say I believe this person is even more skilled than myself." the old man replies as he reaches for his staff.

"Why did she do all of this… why would she help her own enemy?" Forte thinks to himself as he spots a cloak in the distance.

"I see you have spotted it. Take it, I made it just in case you returned to us." the old man tells him as Forte wraps it around him.

"Thank you for your help doctor, I owe you yet again." Forte says as he walks up to the man.

"I will hear nothing of it. You are a friend, I will not bind you with that." the old man tells him while banging Forte's left shoulder a few times. Suddenly there is an extremely loud horn heard from outside.

"Forte! Quickly hide in the back!" the old man panics as he attempts to push him towards the back.

"What is this about?" Forte asks while looking out of the window. He can see a large mech standing in the middle of the street. It has a reverse joint leg with large arms that look like they would hurt if hit with. The pilot if basically standing out in the open as his controls are on what look like a platform with arms and legs. The old man pushes Forte out of sight before nearly falling to the ground.

"I beg of you do not let yourself be seen!" the old man tells him.

"What is going on here?" Forte questions.

"As you may or may not know the well in the back may be small but it offers a great amount of water. Those bandits are here for just that. They told us that if we give them as much water as they need they will not harm us. They also explained that if we were caught attempting to keep them away they would destroy the town!" the old man explains.

"I see… if I was to be seen, they would destroy the town without asking first." Forte mutters to himself as the horn goes off again.

"I will be back, stay hidden until I return. I bed of you…" the old man says before walking out the front door. Forte walks to the window and watches as the old man walks out to the mech in the street. The pilot looked like his face was dragged through the sand for a mile before washing it off with water. He has short blonde hair with scars all over his face and green eyes. He is wearing a tan colored vest with the same colored pants and boots.

"Hey old man, I am here to collect our water supply for the week! So hand it over before I get mad!" the man chuckles the entire time.

"Yes, right this way." the old man replies as he turns around to lead him towards the water. He leads the man and his mech towards one house in the back near where Forte is. The old man suddenly trips and falls to the ground as his staff slides across the ground in front of him.

"Hurry it up you old geezer!" the man in the mech shouts as he walks closer to the old man. A small kid runs out into the street to try and help the old man up. Suddenly the kid is shot in the arm by the man in the mech. As he puts the pistol back in his holster he laughs up a storm.

"Hey kid! Go back to mom and stay out of this! Or else I will just step on you!" the man tells the kid as the little one begins to cry. Everyone stops suddenly as a loud humming noise is heard from the old man's home.

"Oh no… please don't do it Forte…" the old man thinks.

"What is this? Some sort of trick?" the mech pilot asks as he walks closer. Without warning the humming stops before a massive blast of energy fires from the house and completely destroys one of the arms on the mech. The mech falls to the ground with a loud crash shaking the town. Out of the smoke from the house exits an enraged Forte.

"So you losers actually attempted to fight us back?! Well I guess I get to be the one to destroy this pathetic town!" the man shouts before standing the mech back up.

"Forte please stop!" the old man begs him as he walks past.

"I will not stop until he is out of your way." Forte replies before kicking the old man's staff back at him.

"Hey stupid!" the pilot of the mech calls to Forte. Before anything else was said Forte fires another blast that destroys the mech's left leg. Forte fires another blast which destroys the other leg. Before the pilot knew what was going on Forte was standing in front of him with his arm buster humming in front of him.

"Hey stupid." Forte starts as the man jerks back out of fear. "Go back to your boss and tell him… he will receive a visitor tonight." Forte adds as the man bows to Forte with fear all over him. The robot jumps off of the mech before the man flies away on a small hover disc.

"Thank you for your help… but now you have doomed us all." the old man says while hanging his head.

"I will return soon." Forte tells him before taking to the air.

He soon finds the man miles away entering what looks like a large fortress built into a mountain. He flies down closer to get a better look at the place. As a few moments pass many of the hanger doors of the fortress open as Forte begins to smile at the oncoming force. Dozens of much larger robots pour out of the fortress followed by the biggest of them all. The largest one looks more like a human compared to the others. It has two shoulder vulcan guns with missile pods on the arms. The head has what looks like a laser gun on the top as the eyes begin to glow red. The legs are armored and have what look like thrusters that aid it in moving forward. The cockpit opens as a man with a white shirt and a red headband stands to his feet while the robots stop moving behind him.

"Alright men, we are heading towards that crappy little town that was supplying our water! We will teach them a lesson! We will teach them why they should respect us! When we are done with them there will be nothing left!" the man yells to his comrades.

"There is only one problem with your plan!" Forte shouts to him before appearing suddenly before the massive army of robots.

"So you must be the one who stopped one of my men from following his orders?" the leader questions before closing the cockpit. Suddenly the air is filled with missiles and bullets all aimed at Forte. As everything hits dead on target the army lets out a shout of victory while the smoke clears.

"Hmph… I'm not impressed!" Forte shouts as they all open fire once again.

This time Forte leaps into the air while quickly sniping the missiles out of the air, every last one of them. He then fires many electrical waves towards the robots in the back. As he lands he instantly slams his right fist into the ground which sends multiple waves of ice at the oncoming force of robots. As they are frozen in place Forte spins in place while firing his buster cannon. One robot makes it past his laser blasts and slams into Forte. As he slides across the ground he begins to spark while the robot charges him again.

"Now you've really ticked me off!!" Forte shouts as his body is suddenly engulfed in flames. He turns towards the robot charging him and leaps towards it as the flames concentrate towards his fists. He uppercuts which sends a wall of fire at the robot which melts through it right away. As the man inside is instantly killed Forte walks towards the leader of the dead army.

"What are you?!" he panics while his robot staggers backwards. Forte fires his buster cannon many times which blows off the legs and weapons of the robot.

"What am I? I use to go by Ancient Evil… but these days that just does not fit me… you may refer to me as The Black Hunter." Forte tells him while charging his buster cannon.

"Wait! I will do anything!" the man begs and cries before Forte stops charging.

"If I do choose to allow you to live, will you do everything that I say?" questions Forte as the man crawls out of the cockpit.

"Anything!" the man cowers in front of him.

As the time goes by the small town can hear a vehicle heading their way. They instantly leave their homes to see what all the noise is about. A trailer drives up as the leader of the bandits steps out of the driver seat. Fear strikes everyone there before Forte suddenly flies down in front of the leader which eases everyone a bit. The old man walks out to find out just what is going on.

"Forte? What have you been doing?" the old man questions as the now ex-leader walks over to the old man.

"Sir… I would like to apologize for everything I have done. Me or my men… I know that I can't say it enough…" the man tells him while everyone behind the old man begin to shout and throw things at him. Forte steps in front of the man which shocks the people.

"This trailer behind me contains the bandits slaves. The slaves that they have captured over the years it would seem. They are all women and I would like to ask if they may live here with all of you." Forte says as the town gasps at this.

"If it were not for our town being so small… I would accept without a doubt in my mind…" the old man replies.

"That is where this man comes in. In exchange for his life to be spared he is to build new homes for your town with his robot. Of course you would be the one to repair his mech." Forte tells him.

"I see…" the old man says while looking at the ex-leader.

"If he tries anything let me know. I will deal with him personally." Forte tells him before walking away from the town.

"You're not staying with us Forte?" asks the old man.

"No… I have a different view on my existence suddenly… I must protect them now… at all costs…" Forte says before taking off into the air.

"Thank you for your help Forte. We are in your debt once again." the old man thinks to himself as Forte disappears from his view.

"I don't know why… but I must protect them! I must!" Forte thinks to himself as he picks up his speed. Soon he reaches the Altsien only to find that it is not moving. It is on fire at the moment with many holes in the base. He can make out a single black figure attacking the base with a sword. He flies down in front of the figure as the attacker comes to a stop.

"Miss Haley! Forte is back! He appears to be standing in the way of one of the Tera Knights!" one of the spotters tell Haley as Manabu picks her up from the floor.

"Forte…?" she mutters while rubbing her head.

"A Tera Knight huh? You are the one called Wraith, am I correct?" Forte asks while throwing his cloak to his side.

"You are correct ancient one." Wraith replies while holding his jagged sword to the side.

"I'm afraid I do not go by that anymore… I am the Black Hunter…" Forte says before lunging forward. "A Maverick Hunter!" he shouts while charging his buster cannon.

* * *

**_End of Chapter 51_**


	53. Chapter 52: To The Rescue

_**Rockman ZW: Genesis**_

_**Chapter 52: To The Rescue**_

* * *

As Forte releases a violent blast from his buster cannon Wraith slides to the side almost without effort. The Black Hunter wastes no time with shock as he rapidly punches towards Wraith from a distance. This fires a few electric balls at the Tera Knight who swings his jagged blade to defend himself. Wraith lunges forward as the tip of his blade begins to glow fire red. He swings it towards Forte who takes to the air to avoid the attack, taking notice of the large crater left by Wraith's blade. He flies back down towards Wraith while pulling back his right arm getting ready to attack. Wraith leaps into the air as he prepares his sword for the kill. As the two begin to pass the other they attack at the same time. With a violent thrust Forte slams his now flaming fist into Wraith's chest plate while Wraith barely manages to connect with Forte's left shoulder. While the two crash into the ground the entire Altsien base is watching by this point wondering who will win this fight… above all else… is Forte fighting for them…

"I must admit… you are much harder to kill than I first imagined…" Forte speaks as the sand clears from the air. Wraith swings his sword to his side creating a gust of wind that clears the sand around him. Both of them give of a few sparks at the same time while they glare at each other.

"I am one of the Tera Knights, I do not lose." Wraith comments while Forte smirks.

"Then we will have to change this!" Forte shouts before throwing his cloak down to the ground.

"The Tera Knights are eternal, not a soul alive can defeat us!" Wraith shouts while his entire sword now glows red.

At that time Forte attacks with an electric wave that does not even seem to stun Wraith. The Black Hunter then makes his way towards his foe while charging his buster cannon again. As Wraith brings his sword up to attempt a counter Forte changes his tactic by firing at the ground instead. This shoots up a massive amount of sand that blinds them both at the moment. Wraith swings around violently attempting to get rid of the sand. By the time he could see again Forte unleashes a charged blast from behind that throws Wraith forward. He staggers for a bit before turning around with his sword to his side.

"Impressive…" Wraith comments while rushing forward.

"I have more up my sleeves friend…" Forte mocks before punching towards Wraith, who suddenly vanishes without a trace. Shocked this time Forte looks around for his opponent only to find the desert and the damaged base. Without warning a red blade goes through his chest from behind. As he struggles to turn his head around the blade is quickly pulled back out. Forte falls to the ground without movement as the sparks begin to shoot everywhere like a lightning storm.

"I have you now… friend." mocks Wraith as he raises his blade to end the fight. Right as he is preparing to deliver the last blow he suddenly loses his grip on his sword as he falls to the ground. He looks into the distance to see Manabu standing there transformed, returning his sabers to his waist belt. He also takes notice to the massive amount of damage to his body that was just dealt by Manabu.

"I will not allow you to do such a thing!" Manabu tells him while turning around.

"I… let my guard down… never again… red one…" Wraith says before a wall of sand covers him for a moment. A few seconds pass as does the sand but Wraith is nowhere to be found. Manabu rushes to aid Forte who is still motionless.

"I'm bringing him back in now so expect some more repairs to be done." Manabu tells Haley as she leaves the command room. While the workers of the Altsien base rush outside to begin repairs of the base Manabu rushes inside the garage area to meet with Haley. They rush to the lab within minutes to begin repairs on their heroic robot. Haley wastes no time in deactivating his systems so she can do what she does best. She takes notice that Wraith cut directly through Forte's core system which keeps him functioning. She begins to remove his chest plate before a shock of electricity throws her arms back.

"Ouch!" she shouts before Manabu rushes up behind her.

"Maybe you should just let him go." he suggests to her as she looks to him with her eyes almost filled with tears.

"I can't do that… I have to try my best to save him!" Haley says before going back to work again.

While she is finally able to take the chest plate off Forte wakes inside of a room. There is nothing there but the walls and the table he is resting on. He takes notice that his wings are missing along with his cloak. He stands to his feet while looking around the room. The walls are the same as the floor with a plain white color. Suddenly an image of someone appears in front of him. It is an elderly man with a white coat and is using a cane at the moment. His hair is white as well as his Santa Claus looking beard. He has bags under his eyes just as his face is pale. He is obviously very tired and worn out from something.

"Who… are you?" Forte questions as he moves his head a bit to his right.

"I… am Thomas Light… the creator of your old foe Rockman." he reveals as Forte's eyes open wide.

"I remember you… but why are you here now? Where are we?" Forte asks him while looking around the room.

"It is actually very simple Forte. We are inside of your memory banks… and I am nothing but a memory here." Thomas tells him as Forte walks closer.

"So you must be the version of Dr. Light that I last recalled… am I correct?" asks Forte.

"You are correct." Thomas replies while standing there in the same position.

"Why am I in this room? What has happened to my wings? What is going on here?" Forte asks again and again.

"Your consciousness is here at the moment while your body is most likely being repaired right now." replies the old man.

"Then why am I talking to you instead of my creator?" Forte asks.

"I do not know… could it be that you have possibly changed your view on your life these days?" Thomas questions him. Forte only stares at him before looking to his left.

"I see… you must do what you feel is right Forte… you have a free will just as Rockman did. You are more alike than even I first believed…" Thomas tells him before the entire room goes black. Forte opens his eyes again to see Haley sitting on the ground with Manabu on her left.

"I see you're awake… Forte…" Haley says before passing out.

"Haley! Haley wake up!" Manabu begins to panic.

"What happened to her?" Forte asks as he kneels down in front of them.

"Even though she deactivated your systems… you still gave off shocks from time to time. Haley wouldn't stop until she was finished with repairing you…" Manabu replies before picking her up and rushing her out of the door. Forte quickly follows after him while people begin to take notice of him following. As Manabu makes it to the sickbay Forte follows with a crowd behind him.

"What happened to miss Haley?!" the doctor panics while taking her and placing her on a bed nearby.

"She was shocked several times while repairing Forte! Just please help her!" Manabu tells him while beginning to cry out loud.

"Why… why did she do this to herself… just for me…" Forte thinks to himself while watching the doctor. As seconds turn into minutes and minutes turn into hours the doctor finally sits down in a chair near Haley's bed.

"I'm sorry… I couldn't do anything to save her… she's gone…" the doctor tells them as shock hits both Manabu and Forte.

"Haley… please… don't do this to me… Haley!!" Manabu screams before Forte walks over to her bed. He holds out his left hand over her chest before it begins to spark. Both the doctor and Manabu watch closely as his left hand shoots electricity into Haley's chest, directly going to he heart. Her body jumps and jerks as Forte now holds both of his hands over her chest. Forte soon stops as Haley suddenly takes a gasp for air while the doctor rushes to help her. Forte walks back over next to Manabu who has tears running down his face, thankful to Forte.

"I do not know how it was done… but she needs rest… I am going to have to ask you to leave now…" the doctor tells them as the two of them leave. The crowd outside soon jump Forte and push him to the floor.

"Stop this at once!!" Manabu shouts as they stop instantly.

"We should not trust him!" one of the officers speaks up before Manabu punches him in the stomach.

"Forte just saved Haley's life, you will show your respect to him!" Manabu yells while they just laugh at him.

"You do not command us anymore we will not listen to you!" one replies before Manabu transforms into Model R.

"Then how about you listen to a Rockman!!" he shouts before drawing his twin sabers. Instantly the people run off leaving Forte on the ground. All he does is stand to his feet as Manabu returns to normal.

"You care deeply for that woman don't you?" Forte suddenly asks him.

"I… I do…" Manabu says while Forte walks away.

"I want to speak to the one in charge of this base at the moment." Forte tells him before Manabu walks past him. Before too long they arrive at the bridge as everyone stands to their feet at the sight of Forte.

"Manabu…?" Lariat asks as Forte walks towards her.

"I must speak with you about something important." Forte tells her as everyone there is angered with Manabu for bringing Forte to the bridge.

"Alright then, speak." Lariat replies as Manabu sits down beside her.

"I am no longer going to chase you people around. Instead… I will join you in your quest to defeat the Tera Knights." Forte tells them as everyone is shocked.

"What has changed your mind?" Lariat questions.

"Things have changed…" Forte says while looking at his hands. "I have changed…" he adds before Manabu gets real close to Lariat's ear.

"Lariat… he saved Haley's life…he would not betray us now, I trust him." Manabu whispers to her as she stands to her feet.

"Then from this moment Forte will fight along side of us." Lariat announces as the bridge is silent.

"Can your base move?" Forte asks her.

"The engines have already been repaired… but the outer hull is in need of major repairs… we can't move the base now, we would be ripped apart." Lariat explains.

"You do not understand… Wraith, one of the Tera Knights will be back soon. He may even bring help this time…" Forte tells her while everyone looks at the other.

"What can we do? We are helpless!" Lariat exclaims while Manabu hangs his head.

"I know that City One has been your goal for some time now. I am sure the Tera Knights are aware of this as well… City One is only a few miles away from this current position. If you can get this base there before it falls apart I am sure you can have it repaired there at City One. I am not saying this is going to be easy, however it is your only choice at the moment." Forte explains to them.

"If they do attack I will do my best to help protect us." Manabu speaks up as Forte nods in agreement.

"Very well… I do not like this choice at all… but it is our only option… drivers! Start us off slow! Get our repair men back inside of the Altsien!" Lariat commands as everyone goes to work. As soon as the base begins to move the alarms begin to sound.

"Now what?!" Manabu shouts as three figures stand in the path of the base.

"Manabu!" Forte calls to him before leaving the command bridge. Manabu quickly follows as the three figures just stand there the entire time. The clouds in the sky grow darker by the second unleashing lightning upon the land.

"That lightning is from the Boanerges Brothers…" Manabu brings up while he and Forte run towards them.

"Wraith is with them as well. This should be an interesting fight…" Forte adds while they stop in front of the three Tera Knights.

"The red one! You will pay for our previous fight!" Ryzar shouts while slamming his buster sword into the ground.

"The result will be the same as the last! You will not get near the Altsien!" Manabu shouts before transforming.

"You will be destroyed this time!" Wraith shouts to Forte as he stands there in silence. A few moments pass by before the two groups charge each other suddenly. The Altsien base is quickly approaching them from behind as bits and pieces of the outer hull begins to tear and fall off.

* * *

**_End of Chapter 52_**


	54. Chapter 53: Limit Breaker

_**Rockman ZW: Genesis**_

_**Chapter 53: Limit Breaker**_

* * *

Lightning strikes everywhere while the two groups begin their attacks. Wraith changes his path suddenly as he heads directly towards Manabu who is focused on the Boanerges Brothers at the moment. Wraith jumps into the air as he prepares to strike catching Manabu's corner vision, but a bit too late. He prepares for the worst before Forte slams into Wraith, throwing him across the battlefield. While Forte is focused on Wraith the two electric brothers attempt to overtake him by rushing him. Manabu slides in front of the path of the Boanerges Brothers before drawing both of his sabers. The sabers shoot a shockwave at the two that throws them back even further than Wraith.

"We have to keep them away from the Altsien at any cost!" Manabu tells Forte as the base begins to pass them by.

"I will take the brothers! You take Wraith!" Forte tells him while taking to the air. Manabu quickly rushes towards Wraith while leaving the base behind.

"I hope those two will survive this fight…" Lariat thinks to herself while trying to stay calm.

"Do you two honestly think you are the only ones to command the currents of the sky? I will prove you wrong!" Forte shouts before his hands begin to spark. He throws his arms out to his side before raising his hands into the air with his palms upwards. As electricity shoots into the sky the storm begins to get even worse, only most of the lightning strikes the Boanerges Brothers. After a few strikes the brothers aim their buster swords towards Forte who is still hovering in the sky. As the lightning strikes them their swords act as cannons which shoots the lightning bolts back at Forte. While dodging the lightning Forte stops his electric attacks.

"Do not temp us with our own element!" Tyzar shouts to Forte who scoffs at their reply.

Manabu leaps into the air while spinning his left saber behind his back. He uses the spinning saber as if he was cutting down a tree. He slashes first with his right saber as Wraith goes to block it. Manabu then comes up from below with his left saber which leaves a deep cut in Wraith's black armor. Angered by this attack Wraith charges forward which throws Manabu off balance. He staggers backwards as Wraith lunges forward as if his jagged sword was a heavy lance. Manabu barely moves to his right as the sword moves between his armpit. He then grabs Wraith's arm before suddenly snapping it downwards.

"You are wasting your time red one!" Wraith tells him while pulling his arm back.

"I could say the same about you black one!" Manabu snaps back before he places his twin sabers back on his waist belt. He then moves his right hand over towards his saber katana. Manabu looks over to his left to see the Altsien base pass between his and Forte's fight. At that moment the Tera Knights leap into the air towards the base. Forte flies towards the brothers while firing his buster cannon at their backs. Ryzar is shot in the back as Tyzar begins to slash at the base wildly. Forte clings to Tyzar's back before unleashing a burst of flames that engulfs the Tera Knight and sends him falling to the ground. On the other side Wraith attempts to attack the base from the back side but finds Manabu in his path every time he changes position.

"I will not let you harm this base!" Manabu shouts while leaping towards Wraith. As he moves closer to the dark knight he takes his katana from its sheath to swing once towards Wraith. He moves just in time to see the saber katana pass directly in front of his face.

"Impressive…" Wraith comments while getting into a fighting stance by raising his jagged blade just above his view. Manabu is curious on this attack pattern as he gets ready for another attack.

"Is there anyway we can support them?" Lariat asks the crew while sitting there feeling helpless.

"If we used our weapons now we would drastically reduce our speed, we can't help them!" the weapons specialist informs her.

"Then maintain the current course to City One…" she says while feeling defeated.

Outside of the base Manabu and Forte are finding it harder and harder by the minute to defend the base. The Tera Knights are getting closer and closer each time they attack. In the distance they can spot the city that they have been rushing towards. Instantly after spotting the city the three knights attack the base at the same time. The Boanerges Brothers both send an electric wave that goes throughout the entire base. It stops for a moment before Wraith leaps onto the command bridges viewing area. Instantly he can see inside of the bridge where Lariat and the rest are taking notice of him. He pulls his sword back to attack before Forte and Manabu attack him from both sides. Wraith falls to the metal hull of the base as his sword slides off of the side. The Boanerges brothers take notice that the base is moving once again as they prepare another wave of electricity. Forte suddenly comes crashing down on them as Wraith's body follows after. The base passes by them finally as the Tera Knights are enraged by this.

"No more playing around!" Ryzar shouts before electricity shoots from his body. Tyzar soon does the same thing before Wraith stands to his feet. He holds his right hand to his side before his sword appears in his hand again. He then disappears as Forte's eyes open wide.

"Manabu! Be careful!" Forte calls to him before noticing a presence behind him.

Forte instantly drops to the sand below as Wraith did the same as before, only this time he looks down to see Forte aiming his buster cannon directly at his chest. With a violent blast Wraith is sent flying into the air as Forte stands to his feet. Manabu draws his two sabers before the brothers charge forward with their buster swords high in the air. They stop suddenly while turning around, using the momentum from the stop to swing their swords towards Manabu. This sends two massive waves of electricity towards Manabu who is caught off guard by this. As he is hit he loses his two sabers while most of his armor is damaged and cracked.

"Manabu!" Forte calls to him before flying towards him. Manabu barely manages to stagger to his feet while the Boanerges Brothers close in for the kill. They run towards him again in attempt to attack with the same move as before.

"Do not… underestimate me!" Manabu yells before the brothers swing again. Right as the two massive waves are about to hit Manabu he disappears from sight shocking even Forte. Ryzar and Tyzar are suddenly attacked from behind as they fly forward face first to the ground. There is a massive cut in their backs as Manabu stands behind them with his saber katana ready to attack again.

"It might be best… to withdraw for now…" Tyzar suggests as Wraith walks up while holding his right arm.

"I agree… the world must not know of the Tera Knights true purpose…" he says before disappearing completely. A blast of lightning hit's the brothers before they disappear as well.

"I guess we won…" Manabu whispers before falling to the ground while losing his form. Forte runs up to him as he takes notice to the Altsien base arriving finally at City One. He also takes notice to a small amount of groups heading towards the base as well. He picks up Manabu before taking to the sky again. While flying over the Altsien he notices that they are attempting to take over the base. He flies into the base before returning outside without Manabu in his arms. He heads to the front of the base before flying down in front of the groups.

"What are you trying to do here?" he asks them as he lands. There are three groups that contain eight in each. One group has rockets with heavy armor that looks like it could even take a hit from Forte's buster cannon. They are wearing brown and tan armor with a mask that leaves their eyes free. The other two groups are wearing not so heavy looking armor that is a red color with tan colored helmets. The first group rushes up to Forte with their assault rifles aimed at his head.

"Stand down robot! We have been ordered to search this base!" the one in the lead commands Forte.

"You must be joking… if you really think those little pea shooters can harm me…" Forte returns as the three groups take a step back.

"Stop this now!" Lariat's voice comes from behind as she and her ninja's leap off of the base. Everyone but Forte seemed to be in awe at this sight.

"Who are you?!" the soldier asks as he takes aim.

"I am Lariat, the one in charge of this base at the moment. We mean you no harm… we seek repairs and rest after a long journey here… please allow us to stay here at City One." Lariat says as she and her ninja's bow before them.

"Out of the question! We cannot allow you in our city no matter what!" the soldier shouts back in reply.

"But the Altsien cannot take another long trip!" Lariat continues.

"Did you say… Altsien…? Where is Haley?" the soldier questions as he drops his weapon to his right side.

"She is inside of the base resting at the moment. She has had a very long trip here…" Lariat replies while looking at Forte.

"Sir, miss Haley is here with the Altsien. However it is extremely damaged." the soldier speaks into his communicator while turning around.

"Understood. Show them the way…" a deep voice replies over the communicator.

"Yes sir." the soldier replies before the link is cut.

"What did your leader say?" Lariat asks as he walks closer to her with his men directly behind him.

"I request permission to let two of my men drive your base to a safe place. We will not harm you, you have my word." the soldier assures her as she agrees.

"How did he know that the Altsien requires two drivers…?" Forte thinks to himself while following them inside of the base. Very shortly after the base begins to move to the left behind the city. Soon the sand moves away revealing an underground passage that the drivers follow. As soon as they are in the passage the large door closes behind them.

* * *

**_End of Chapter 53_**


	55. Chapter 54: Struggle For Control

_**Rockman ZW: Genesis**_

_**Chapter 54: Struggle For Control**_

* * *

Thousands of miles away from City One Isaac is arriving in what looks like a destroyed city. Even he has no clue as to which city this is. The clouds are dark in the sky, darker than normal. He searches around for a sign of life but to no avail there is nothing but dead silence all around. Destroyed homes and marketplaces leave him with an un-easy feeling as he continues to look around.

"What on Tera happened here… it seems like someone just wanted this city to disappear…" Isaac thinks out loud before taking notice to a doll on the ground. It is scorched and ripped apart with its right leg missing. As he feels around the surface of the doll he can tell that the entire area was burned to the ground. After placing the doll back on the ground where he found it he can make out a sign in the distance. He makes his way over to it as he throws his cape to his side.

"Trade Center of City Four" it reads before Isaac takes a few steps back out of shock.

"This… is City Four…?" Isaac thinks as he can recall saving Alister and Manabu in one of the back alleys. Finding it hard to believe that the rubble he is standing in is what use to be City Four. He is more focused on finding Alister at the moment and hoping that Alister was not involved in the destruction of City Four.

"The last I saw of that guy he was heading towards City Four." a man wearing a hard hat tells Isaac as he recalls that conversation.

"Where ever you are Alister… I will find you and help bring you back to those that care for you… nobody should have to go through the hell that I went through…" Isaac says to himself as the wind picks up suddenly. He looks around while feeling a presence behind him. He turns around to see Alister sitting down in a pile of rubble with his legs crossed.

"Welcome to City Four… well at least the remains of it…" Alister chuckles as Isaac faces him.

"This is not a laughing matter Alister." Isaac returns with a sharp tone.

"All of this destruction… it is the best thing in the world!" Alister tells him before standing to his feet.

"Did you do this?" Isaac questions as he lowers his head while still looking towards Alister.

"Sadly no… this was the doing of the Tera Knights…" Alister replies while smirking.

"For what reasons?!" Isaac shouts while snapping his head back up.

"How should I know? I am not their keepers." Alister replies before turning around, getting ready to walk off.

"Wait! I still have matters that concern you!" Isaac calls after him as he walks closer to him.

"You would be wise to avoid me… I am in a nice mood at the moment…" Alister returns in a darker voice.

"Alister… no… Omega… why have you taken Alister's body?" Isaac questions as Alister turns around.

"Do you know what it is like to be trapped inside of that small piece of metal? To finally be able to break free and assume control of another… I will destroy this world that the Tera Knights have created! Their world is weak and pointless! When I am in control… everyone will know what power is…" Alister replies before holding Model ZW in front of him. "Try to stop me." he adds before transforming.

"So be it." returns Isaac as he throws his cape behind him.

Thunder can be heard all around them while the two of them stare at the other. In a sudden moment of flash that the lightning provides Alister is suddenly directly in front of Isaac attacking wildly. Isaac leaps backwards with his arms out to his side as he readies his two arm slashers. Alister walks towards his foe while dragging his left arm slasher through the ground. He picks up his speed before leaping towards Isaac. In mid air he slashes twice which fires twin shockwaves at Isaac. The green knight does the same from the ground in order to cancel the incoming attack. Isaac then jumps into the air before disappearing in front of Alister. He then appears behind him as he slashes towards Alister. He smirks before disappearing as well. Isaac looks around before punching behind him as he connects with Alister's face. He crashes into the ground as Isaac lands in front of him.

"You must be mistaken if you think you can fool me. You are forgetting that you are using my old Live Metal!" Isaac tells him while preparing for another attack.

"So you say…" Alister begins before a blood colored aura surrounds him. Isaac takes a few steps back while he watches the transformation. Alister takes the same form as he did before. A long saber materializes in his right hand.

"This is the form of Omega…" Isaac says to himself as the blood colored aura disappears.

"Alister… Alister… Alister!" a voice calls to him as he opens his eyes to see who is calling him. It is Model ZW who is floating in front of him. Alister is lying down in a grass field with no trees around, only the grass. He sits up as Model ZW hovers closer to him.

"Where am I?" he asks while standing to his feet. A strong current of wind gives him a cool breeze for a moment while he looks around.

"Omega has taken control of your body but not your consciousness…" Model ZW explains to him.

"Omega…?" asks Alister while rubbing his head.

"Model O, the red Live Metal that Haley showed you before. He is pure evil but uses a hero's body. That is who is in control of your body at the moment. He is fighting with Leo as of now." Model ZW tells him before Alister's eyes open wide.

"Leo? We have to help him then!" Alister returns as the sky begins to grow darker.

"Omega's will to control your body is very strong but as he is fighting with Leo his power is failing. You have to regain control as his power fails him. In order to do this… we have to fight with Omega himself." Model ZW says as Alister looks around.

"Then let's do it!" Alister replies while clenching his right fist.

"It is not going to be so easy!" a dark voice calls to them from the distance.

The two of them turn around to see a red reploid standing in the distance. He is tilting a blue beam saber back in forth in his right hand. He has a blue gem in the middle of his forehead with two fins on the two sides of his head. His blood red colored armor is glowing faintly as he steps towards them ever so slowly.

"Who are you?" asks Alister while suddenly getting a feeling of fear that races throughout his entire body.

"Do you like that feeling? The feeling of fear that can paralyze you in an instant…" the reploid mocks as Model ZW hovers above Alister.

"Omega!" he calls out to him.

"Now that I have the remaining consciousness of Alister before me… I can finally take full control of his body! You tried to hide him from me… but now that I have found him… his life ends here." Omega tells Model ZW before he begins to blink.

There is a flash of light before another reploid stands in front of Alister. His silver scarf flips in the wind as he lifts his head towards Omega. His emerald green eyes glare at his foe while taking a fighting stance. Omega seemed stunned by his appearance as he takes a few steps back. There is lightning in the sky now while the two stare at each other. Alister manages to step away from the upcoming fight as he gets a safe distance from the two.

"You will not harm him… not so long as I exist… I am Zerowing! The eternal light that will destroy all evil!" Zerowing shouts to him before extending his left arm slasher.

"Well Zerowing… it is a shame that I have to destroy you as well as Alister… but no matter. Come at me if you believe you can destroy me!" Omega replies as he charges forward.

Zerowing spins around to avoid Omega's attack as he kicks Omega in the back. Omega slams into the ground before flipping back over. He rolls along the ground while firing an energy pistol at Zerowing. The bullets hit him in the back as he staggers forward. Omega quickly leaps to his feet before slashing down at the ground. This sends a shockwave towards Zerowing who turns around just in time to see the attack. He is hit at full force as he is thrown across the grass field. Omega leaps into the air while charging his pistol for a charged blast. Zerowing takes notice before disappearing from view. Omega stops his charge as Zerowing appears to his left side while slashing. Omega moves to block with his saber but due to the surprise he is hit many times. Omega then slashes to his left to keep Zerowing from attacking anymore. As Zerowing is knocked to the ground Omega slams into him with a charged saber attack. Zerowing rolls over towards Alister who is watching with fear.

"Al…ister…" Zerowing struggles to say as he loses his color.

"A worthy foe indeed… but here is where it ends." Omega states as he walks towards them.

"Fall!" Isaac shouts as he slashes towards Alister, who in turn does the same.

The two clash on the ground before jumping straight into the air. While they continue their power struggle in the air Alister suddenly over powers Isaac by using both of his arm slashers at the same time. Isaac crashes into what remains of two homes behind him as he regains his balance. Alister falls directly on top of Isaac as chunks of the homes begin to scatter. When the dust cloud finally clears the two of them are engaged in a fist lock with each other. Isaac breaks the lock suddenly by throwing Alister over his shoulders and swiftly slamming him into the ground. The attack seemed to have taken the breath out of Alister as he begins to gasp for air. Alister then materializes his saber again, this time in his left hand. He jabs upwards at Isaac attempting to catch him off guard. Isaac steps backwards as the saber cuts into his chest plate. Isaac then slams his two arm slashers into the ground which in turn creates a massive shockwave that carries Alister across their battlefield. A blood red aura appears around Alister before disappearing, he then appears in front of Isaac panting and gasping for air.

"You… are not so easy… to kill…" Alister says as he wipes blood from his mouth.

"Alister and Model ZW are very strong indeed… but you made one major error when you took his body…" Isaac says as his arm slashers go back in place.

"And what is that?" Alister snaps while holding his stomach.

"His body is not use to the wear and tear… Model ZW holds powers that are beyond his control at the moment. So when you continue to disappear and appear seconds later you are killing his body… in turn you are killing yourself. I am sure that at this moment the real Alister and Model ZW are fighting with you inside as well. You are fighting with borrowed time my ancient friend…" Isaac explains as Alister gets a furious look to his face. He staggers towards Isaac before stopping suddenly. He shakes his head back and forth before dropping to the ground. Omega's form disappears from his body leaving only the true Black Rockman.

"Now it is up to those two…" Isaac thinks to himself as he sits down across from Alister's body.

"All of my attention has now been focused on you two… once you are out of the way your bodies limits will mean nothing to me!" Omega tells Alister as he prepares his saber above his head. Alister is still frozen by fear as he is barely able to move at all.

"Alister… don't give up." Zerowing speaks to him before turning back into Model ZW.

"But what can I do…? I have no chance against him!" Alister argues while Omega grins over their conversation.

"Not true… believe in yourself and your actions… truly believe in yourself… you can win. There are powers that lie inside of me that have yet to be discovered… use that power now Alister! Embrace the light and your future!" Model ZW tells him before beginning to glow brightly. Alister can move suddenly as he grabs Model ZW. The clouds above them vanishes suddenly revealing a clear blue sky with a bright yellow sun beaming down on Alister.

"So be it! Rock Fusion!" Alister shouts as a light surrounds him. Omega jumps backwards as the lights area extends.

As the light settles down Alister stands there with his right fist clenched in front of his chest with his left arm to his side. He then begins to walk towards Omega before dashing towards him. Omega smirks at this before firing a charged blast at Alister. The new Black Rockman barely moves to his left to avoid the blast before slashing across Omega's chest with his right arm slasher. Omega falls to the ground while holding the deep cut in his chest. Due to the speed Alister was running he comes to a sliding stop while turning around to face Omega. As Alister begins to focus on defeating Omega his body feels warm and light. He looks at his hands to see them turn pure white.

"This is one of the powers handed down to you from the original Black Rockman… its name is Model G! Call to him!" Model ZW tells Alister as he looks towards Omega.

"You can't…! No…!" Omega struggles while staggering towards his enemy.

"I need your help… MODEL G!!" Alister screams at the top of his lungs.

He begins to hover into the air while his body begins to glow very brightly, even Omega was forced to look away from the light. His black armor begins to turn green and red while a long slender cannon forms on each arm. Thicker and heavier armor appears on his feet while his scarf turns to a red color before the light dies down. He takes one step before realizing his form has changed.

"This is Model G? What power…" Alister begins while taking notice to Omega staggering towards him.

"Do it Alister!!" Model ZW tells him before Alister takes aim with the two cannons.

"Take this!" he shouts before firing the two cannons. The power was so great that Alister flew backwards a few feet before landing flat on his back.

"No… this can't be happening! NO!!" Omega screams as the blast hits him directly. Alister then stands to his feet before looking towards Omega. The blast ripped apart the ground and destroyed most of Omega. All that remained was his head along with a few circuits on the ground next to him. Alister walks up to him still using Model G. He picks up Omega's head with both hands before crushing it between them. It then felt like he was being thrown forward as he notices the sky above him has returned to a stormy state. He looks around to see Isaac watching him.

"Leo…?" Alister asks as he sits up, holding his head.

"I can see you have returned to normal… well… somewhat…" he states as Alister takes notice that he is still using Model G.

"So it wasn't a dream…" he says while standing to his feet. He then returns to normal before falling to his knees…

"Alister!" Isaac calls after him before rushing to his aid before picking him up and setting him in front of him.

"What happened to your mask…?" asks a curious Alister while Isaac chuckles at his question and releases him from his grip.

"My friend… I have a lot to tell you…" Isaac replies as he looks to the sky.

* * *

**_End of Chapter 54_**


	56. Chapter 55: Dark Echoes

_**Rockman ZW: Genesis**_

_**Chapter 55: Dark Echoes…**_

* * *

Alister and Isaac find themselves walking through a city with no guards. Finding this very strange they decide to stay for the day to try and find out information. The city does not look well kept at all, there are rats running through the streets, holes in many of the homes and even people that are walking the streets nearly naked.

"What kind of place is this…" Alister says under his breath.

The two of them continue ahead while finding it hard to believe there is a place such as this. A bit further down they discover that the buildings and homes are starting to look much cleaner and rat free. The people there are also wearing more clothes than their previous encounters. They look into the distance to see a large castle that has many guards surrounding the walkways. These guards look like they have top of the line equipment.

"This city must be under their control… that is my guess." Isaac speaks while looking around.

"So those people walking around at the gates must be slaves or something?" Alister asks while gritting his teeth.

"That would be my guess as well." Isaac replies.

The streets split off into many directions from the point they are standing at. They take the very middle path out of the five paths. This path leads to the castle that they spotted before, with no idea on how to handle this situation. They are suddenly stopped by a few of the well armed men they spotted on the castle walkways.

"Stop right there! I've never seen you here before… mind telling me what you're doing here?" the man demands.

"We are simply passing through trying to find some food and a roof for the night." Isaac answers him while taking notice of the men walking up behind him and Alister.

"Visitors are not welcome in this city! You will leave at once or we will shoot you on the spot!" the man returns while aiming his assault rifle at Isaac. The other four soldiers do the same as Alister and Isaac raise their hands in the air.

"We don't want any trouble! We will leave if that is how you feel about it!" Alister speaks up while a man walks towards them from the castle. He is wearing a red robe that drags the ground covering his feet as well. He has red hair that is pulled back to give him a slick look. He has green eyes and a scar on his left cheek that goes across.

"Now now… is that any way to treat visitors?" the man asks the troops as they quickly salute the man in the robe.

"Sir! We are only following orders sir!" the one who harassed Alister and Isaac replies with a stressed voice.

"Let them come into my castle." the man tells them before walking away.

"Follow him!" they order Alister and Isaac before pushing them from behind.

While entering the castle they take notice to many rare and valuable arts on the wall. Statues of the man in the robe fill the hallways along the way. It is your normal castle but without the red carpet on the floor. They come to a room that is filled with women that are swimming in a large pool. Above the pool is a balcony with the throne. The man in the red robe is sitting down while being feed food by even more women.

"This guy is sick." Alister thinks to himself as he clenches his right fist.

"Welcome to City Seven! Everything you see here belongs to only one person… me!" the man greets as the women around him just hang their heads in shame.

"Why have you brought us into your house?" Isaac questions while the man sits down.

"It is such a rare thing that we have visitors I thought it would be rude to drive you two away like all the others. So why have you come to my city?" the man asks them while drinking from a silver cup.

"We only seek shelter and food, after that we are moving on." Isaac replies while noticing Alister getting upset.

"If that is the case then I insist that you and your friend stay with me tonight! We will eat a large feast in your honor! How about it?" he asks them while standing to his feet.

"If the king of the land invites us then we would be honored." Isaac replies knowing that it would cause less trouble.

"Splendid! Come here boy!" the man shouts while looking behind him. A boy wearing rags steps out from behind the throne before walking towards the man.

"Yes?" he asks seeming tired as well.

"Please take these two to the guest room and don't bother them for too long." he tells the boy before pushing him a bit.

"Yes sir…" the boy replies before walking down the spiral steps to their left. He leads them through the hallway on their left with many doors all around. The boy leads them to the room in the very back with two windows. There are two beds with expensive looking sheets and covers. Alister walks to the left window while Isaac kneels down in front of the boy with black hair.

"What is your name young one?" Isaac asks the boy.

"Heroshi." the boy replies.

"Thank you for showing us the way Heroshi. Might I ask what you are doing in a place like this helping a man like that?" Isaac asks while Alister seems to just glare at the boy.

"My family owes him… so instead of them going to jail I help him as a personal worker." Heroshi replies while looking at the ground.

"You mean as his personal slave." Alister comments before the boy walks off. Isaac grabs the boys right shoulder before turning him around.

"You can trust us… we are your friends young one." Isaac tells the boy before Heroshi breaks away from his grip.

"Many have said that to me!" Heroshi replies before running out of the room.

"Just staying here makes me sick." Alister mutters as Isaac walks closer to him.

"I can understand that feeling. For now… we will wait…" Isaac tells him.

For the longest time they are standing there at the window watching the outside world as it goes about the day. A few hours pass by before a solider knocks on their door. The two of them turn around to see a man without a gun standing there.

"The king sent me to get you two for dinner, it is ready now." the man tells them before leaving the room. Alister and Isaac leave the room to find him waiting for them in the hallway.

"Right this way." he says before walking off. The two of them follow the soldier down the hallway and past the throne room. They enter another hallway before exiting into the courtyard. There is an extremely large table there with the king and many of his women there with him.

"Thank you for coming to eat with me!" he shouts in joy while the two of them sit near him.

"Forgive me for being so rude but might we find out what your name is?" Isaac asks as the man laughs.

"It is not rude at all! My name is Ruben Victor, your humble king!" the man introduces himself before standing to his feet.

"I am Isaac and this is Alister." Isaac introduces.

"Well Isaac and Alister… please sit down and get ready to enjoy yourselves! The feast is about to begin!" Ruben tells them as many chiefs walk out of the castle with platters full of food.

"Alister, Isaac… do not eat this food." Model ZW tells them as they both look at each other.

"Is there something wrong?" Ruben asks them.

"Not at all… it has been such a long time since we have eaten this good." Isaac replies before looking at his food.

"Then please eat up!" Ruben tells them while waiting to eat his own food.

"We insist, you first your majesty." Alister says as Ruben gives him a hateful look. Heroshi walks up next to Ruben handing him his drink before Ruben grabs the boy by his neck.

"I guess it's not going to be so easy to kill you two." Ruben says as the boy struggles to breath.

"Release Heroshi!" Alister demands while Ruben smirks.

"He is my slave and I will do whatever I want! Besides… his family is dead! He has nothing to return to!" Ruben says as the boy begins to cry and scream.

"You told me that I would pay their debts off! You told me that they would be safe! You lied to me!" Heroshi screams at Ruben before he throws him to the ground.

"You little fool! I do whatever I want in this land! This is my land! My will! My law!" Ruben shouts back.

"You killed them! You killed them all! You're not a king! You're just a guy who thinks he deserves to be king! But in reality you belong on the streets!" Heroshi continues before crying some more. He is silenced suddenly as Ruben shoots the boy in the head.

"Heroshi!" Alister and Isaac both shout as Ruben looks towards them.

"What a problem he was to me anyways… now to deal with you two." he says before taking aim at them.

"Ruben!!" Alister yells before transforming into Black Rockman.

"A Rockman?!" Ruben panics while firing his pistol rapidly at Alister. He dodges the bullets with ease before grabbing Ruben by his neck.

"How dare you! What gives you the right to decide the fate of the people?! What gives you the right at all?!" Alister shouts to him while Ruben struggles to breath.

"I… am king!" Ruben replies.

"Heroshi was hurting… he was in pain… but you cared nothing about his feelings or what he was going through! You are a king after all... king of the damned!" Alister says before jabbing his left arm slasher through Ruben's neck and thrusting upwards.

"Alister!" Isaac shouts in shock while Ruben's body falls to the ground. Isaac can feel the rage in the air as Alister turns to him with the blood splattered all over his armor and face.

"Isaac… what did I do?" Alister asks him before looking at his blood stained hands. He falls to his knees before shaking his head back and forth. He then lets out a scream before Isaac takes him away from that area.

"It seems Omega is still lurking around somewhere in Alister… he has to be removed… or at least controlled." Isaac thinks to himself as Alister continues to scream.

* * *

**_End of Chapter 55_**


	57. Chapter 56: Agreement

_**Rockman ZW: Genesis**_

_**Chapter 56: Agreement**_

* * *

It has been a month since Alister killed King Ruben, the two of them lurked in the shadows for the longest time attempting to avoid the law. Several times Alister enraged with anger killed their followers without hesitation. However Isaac did not stop him, he allowed him to kill their shadows. Alister knew he was doing wrong but couldn't stop himself... it felt so good to him. Isaac knew all along that his actions would catch up to him sooner or later. They arrive at City One finally, their goal had been accomplished finally after such a long trip. The air around Alister had the stench of death as his shadow seemed to be almost demonic.

"Now what?" asks Alister while glaring at the people walking past them.

"We're searching for some sort of resistance… sadly I do not know their location in this massive city." Isaac replies while looking around.

"Then we ask around for them." Alister says before walking towards the middle of the city.

"Hold on Alister." Isaac speaks up while grabbing Alister's left arm.

"What is it?" the dark hero asks while looking back.

"We have had a long journey, let us rest and clean ourselves before going out into the crowds." Isaac tells him as Alister smirks.

"A warm shower sounds good." Alister says as he turns around to follow Isaac.

He leads him to what seems to be a fancy hotel on the side of the roads. All of the buildings here look well kept and managed. Alister scoffs at the sight of people laughing in the distance. He clenches his fists so tightly that he ends up hurting himself. Isaac places his right hand on Alister's left shoulder before shaking his head. The two of them enter the five story building as they can instantly smell the food being prepared in the kitchen. Isaac gets them a room to stay at for a week, hoping to find the resistance by then. As they are shown to their room Alister spots the same girl that worked at the food stand at City Four. She looks to him from her table view with somewhat of a shocked look. Before she could say anything Alister and Isaac were already on the floor above her. She shakes it off thinking she was only imagining things.

"You know the food seems better than the warm shower at the moment." jokes Alister as Isaac chuckles to himself.

"I agree with you there." the green knight replies.

Isaac waits for Alister to clean up before cleaning up himself. The two of them then leave their room in hopes to find some food to eat. Upon leaving the girl from the lobby is in a dark corner watching them.

"That is the same person I met so long ago… what is he doing here?" she thinks to herself as Alister and Isaac pass by. Isaac catches her off guard by glancing her way before walking down the set of stairs. She walks out of the dark corner while holding her left hand in front of her stomach.

"This feeling… I have to inform father." she thinks before running the other direction.

As Isaac and Alister are enjoying their meal before a few men force their way inside of the hotels lobby where Isaac and Alister are eating. There are three men in total, all of them wearing desert robes as if they were bandits. One with blue eyes walks over to Alister before slapping his drink out of his hand.

"Stand up killer! It's time to make up for what you have done!" he shouts to Alister while catching the attention of everyone there.

"How do you expect me to pay?" questions Alister as he slowly stands to his feet.

"With your life you pig!" the man continues before suddenly slashing across Alister's chest.

Alister then leaps backwards while throwing his plate at the attacker. The man falls to the ground after the plate shatters on his face. As the man cries out in pain the other two men jump in to help him. One has a whip and uses it to bind Alister's right arm. He begins to pull him in closer before Alister leaps towards the man to the left of his current attacker. He wraps the whip around the mans neck before grabbing his end.

"You had better stop pulling… you may choke your own friend." Alister tells him with a smirk across his face.

The man with the whip drops it before throwing multiple daggers at Alister. He catches one of the before throwing it back at the man. The dagger stabs the man in his throat before he falls over dead on the lobby floor. The last man attacks in a violent rage for his fallen friends. Alister drops to the floor before kicking the mans feet out from under him. He then leaps into the air before landing on the mans stomach knocking the wind out of him. He stops moving as Alister starts to dust himself off.

"You killed them!" the hotel manager shouts as he runs up to Alister.

"The man with the knife sticking into his neck is dead… the other two are only knocked out." Alister tells him before turning around to walk outside.

"I will call the authorities for this!" the manager tells him as Alister smiles.

"Then do it." he replies while exiting the hotel. Isaac follows very quickly as Alister is already down the street.

"Was that really needed?" Isaac asks him.

"You saw it with your own eyes Isaac, they attacked me. I was defending myself." Alister replies as he turns down an alley.

"I suppose so… still… making enemies in this city and on the first day is not wise." Isaac tells him as Alister looks towards the sky.

"I will not kill anyone else while here." Alister says while looking back to Isaac.

"Good to hear." someone says from the shadows. Alister and Isaac snap their heads towards the dead end of the alley. A woman wearing an all black curtain looking suit with a black wolf mask reveals herself to them.

"Amazing… even I was not aware of your presence. What do you want from us?" Isaac asks him while throwing his cape to his side.

"For the moment I will not harm you… but if you kill anyone else while staying in this city… I will make you disappear." the woman with the mask warns them.

"What makes you think you can kill us?" Alister questions while glaring at the shadow.

"At your current state… yes. However your green friend here is not the one causing the trouble… it is you, Alister Storm that I will kill if this continues." she warns.

"Interesting… you think you're stronger than me?" he asks her while walking closer to her. She only smiles at his question before disappearing. Alister scoffs at this before leaning up against the wall of the dark alley.

"Alister…" Isaac starts as Alister puts his hand up.

"I know… I'm not myself these days…" he states while Isaac has a worried look to his face.

"Then do something about it Alister! I should know… your dark side is never the right side." Isaac tells him before Alister walks past him.

"Let's find that resistance." Alister says as he walks around the corner. Isaac soon follows before the shadow appears again.

"So… they seek the resistance. The green one would be a welcome ally… however in the state Alister is in… he will not be welcome. He is at least aware of his state…" the shadow thinks before fading away once again.

Hours and hours go by as the two heroes search for the resistance. They search the high areas of City One and the low areas. As they continue their search more and more people give them strange looks while rushing to walk away from them. The more people they talk to the less likely it is that they are going to find the resistance. They take a break at what looks like the central park of the city. Alister sits down on a bench as Isaac stands next to a pillar across from Alister.

"It doesn't make any sense…" Alister starts.

"What do you mean?" asks Isaac while raising an eyebrow.

"We have been throughout the entire city… not a soul knows about the resistance at all… seems fishy to me." Alister replies while sitting back on the bench. He spread his arms out across the bench before looking up at the sky.

"Sharing information about a resistance is not something that just everyone will do. Since we are complete strangers they may believe us to be spies from the Tera Knights." Isaac states as Alister takes a deep breath.

"Just what am I becoming… all the killing… it has to stop… I don't want to lose control of myself while fighting evil… what is it going to take to stop me… at what price…" Alister thinks to himself as the shadow figure from before appears between them.

"I hear you have been looking for the resistance here." the woman states as the shadows disappear. She is wearing a pitch black cloak with the wolf mask still on. Alister pulls his head up before standing to his feet to confront the shadow.

"Yes we have… do you know anything about the resistance here?" asks Alister as the shadow takes notice to a change in his attitude.

"I do… I am a part of it." the woman reveals.

"Then please tell us… where?" Isaac speaks up as the woman turns to look at him.

"Do you really wish to go there? To the resistance?" the woman questions them.

"We have to help the people of this world! We must stop the Tera Knights!" Isaac replies as the shadow shows shock for the first time.

"If that is true… then come close to me." she tells them before they walk closer. The woman raises her arms into the air revealing a veil of darkness that engulfs them entirely. They wake up on the ground, tied to the floor by ropes going across their bodies. Isaac simply sits up without struggle as Alister slips out of them with ease.

"So… where are we now?" asks Alister before a blinding light makes them both look at the ground. From the light walks a large man wearing green striped pants with a white muscle shirt. He has black hair that reaches his ears and brown eyes. His brown boots tap across the floor as he walks over to them.

"I guess they don't make ropes like they use to." he tries to joke with them as they give him a blank stare.

"Who are you?" Alister asks him as the light dies down revealing a massive amount of people standing behind him.

"The name is Kael Mitharos, and you are standing in the middle of my resistance." he replies with a smirk.

"The resistance? Looks like we found it after all… thanks to that shadow." Alister states as the shadow appears next to Kael.

"She would be my personal bodyguard." he tells them.

"A personal bodyguard that travels the city without you around? She seems to get around for a personal bodyguard…" Isaac points out as Kael smirks to his reply.

"You're a sharp one." he returns. "Congratulations friend, you found the resistance." he adds before everyone behind him laughs.

"Bottom line, we want to help you guys fight the Tera Knights." Alister tells him as everyone becomes silent.

"That must be the reason why my shadow brought you here so quickly. But… not just anyone can fight against those monsters. You have to prove yourself first." Kael tells him as the shadow disappears from sight.

"What do you want me to do? Try my hardest to take out your army behind you? I can assure you… I have done that before…" Alister says while taking one step towards Kael and getting into his face. "I can also promise you that I have become a lot stronger since then." he adds as Kael looks to Isaac.

"What about you?" he asks.

"I rival his power." Isaac replies as Kael smiles to their responses.

"That is good to hear… because I will make sure your challenge is very difficult…" he replies before a massively built man stomps up behind him. He is easily twice the size of Isaac who is already very large. He has no hair at all and is wearing what a wrestler would wear. He has cold green eyes with no facial hair at all.

"I take it this is that challenge you mentioned?" Alister asks.

"Not your challenge… but the green one." Kael says as he grabs Alister by his arm and pulls him to the side of the fight that is about to take place.

"I will crush you little man!" the bald man shouts as a cheer can be heard from all around now.

"You are very large… indeed you are. But I am afraid it is you who will be crushed." he replies as the giant growls at his comment.

The giant leaps towards him before putting his full body weight on Isaac. As the dust from the drop moves away from the giant he is suddenly lifted into the air with Isaac under him. Without struggling he throws the giant across the room before he comes to a sliding stop in front of his friends. The giant man rushes towards Isaac at a slow pace as the former Knight leaps into the air and kicks the man in the face. A loud crash can be heard as the giant attempts to stand again. This time Isaac lands on the giants stomach with the falls pressure. It knocks the giant out as everyone is in awe at Isaac's power.

"You pass the test with flying colors… that man was our strongest fighter…" Kael says as Isaac walks up to him.

"He is a bit slow… but I can see why he is the strongest." Isaac tells him as Kael looks to Alister.

"My turn." he starts before the entire base begins to shake and crumble.

"Show me what is going on!" Kael yells before a screen appears out of nowhere in front of him. It shows Alvar hovering above City One with a massive circle around the city.

"Alvar!" Isaac and Alister both shout as the entire resistance begins to panic.

"Stop it! I will go look myself! We can not risk the resistance being spotted!" Kael tells them as they begin to settle down.

"What are you planning to do?" Isaac asks before Kael puts on a grey robe that covers his clothes before walking off. Alister and Isaac follow close after him as he walks up a flight of stairs. They watch him open a stone wall that turns into the insides of a castle. They watch Kael open the doors to a room with a girl waiting inside of it.

"Father!" the girl shouts as Alvar suddenly descends into the room from the balcony.

"King Mitharos, I have come in peace." greets Alvar as Kael walks over to him.

"What is the meaning of this Lord Alvar? Why have you shaken the people of City One?" Kael addresses him as Alvar pulls his cape around him.

"My sources have informed me that there is a small faction that arrived here at City One a few months ago… I am here to ask you personally… do you know anything about them?" Alvar questions as he tilts his head a bit.

"I can assure you Lord Alvar that I drove them out right away! They were such a small force that I did not think it was worth the time to inform you of them!" Kael replies.

"I see… among them was a boy named Alister and a traitorous Knight named Leo… he betrayed the Tera Knights to help that small faction you mentioned a moment ago. For Leo to take such interest in them… he must know something that I do not. Were they with that faction?" Alvar asks while looking to his daughter.

"They were not." Kael replies as he thinks of the two newcomers.

"I see… my sources have also told me that they have yet to leave this city. So tell me… why would you lie to me?" Alvar asks as he looks to the shadows to see Isaac and Alister watching him.

"What do you mean Lord Alvar?" Kael asks as his daughter backs away from their conversation. She ends up walking right into Alister before he places his hand over her mouth to keep her from screaming. She looks to see who it is before realizing she knew who it was.

"Susan?" he asks before releasing her.

"Alister?" she asks as Alvar overhears this name being called.

"Alister? Come out of the shadows!" Alvar's voice thunders as Alister walks out with Isaac following.

"Yeah we're here but the king and this girl knew nothing about us!" Alister tells him as Alvar looks to Kael.

"I have only just met them Lord Alvar and was not aware of their names yet." he tells Alvar as he crosses his arms.

"You're lying to me… you will be punished according to my law!" Alvar shouts before suddenly grabbing Susan.

"Susan!" Kael and Alister both shout as Alvar leaps into the air with Susan in his arms. Alister leaps into the air after Alvar before grabbing his left foot.

"Let go of me!" he shouts before swinging Alister around. He is finally able to throw him off before he starts to hover in the air. Alister is falling towards the ground at an alarming speed. He flips over in the air to see Isaac catch him just in time.

"Alister… we have to save the girl." Isaac tells him before placing him on the ground. Above them Kael watches in horror as Alvar raises his left hand towards the sky before lowering it to the ground. The buildings begin to shake as the houses crumble and fall apart. The ground begins to get softer and softer before everything begins to sink under the ground. A giant sand pit is created by Alvar himself.

"For the sins of your father the entire city shall perish." Alvar tells Susan as she begins to shout and try to break free from his grip.

"Rock Fusion!" Alister shouts before transforming into Black Rockman. He leaps into the air as Alvar takes notice to his foe approaching him from below. He drops Susan before Alister is able to catch her. He lands on top of a building before leaping inside of the room where Kael is. The two of them hug each other as Alister watches Isaac fighting with his old master.

"Leo! Why have you betrayed us?!" Alvar shouts as he draws his sword.

"Because the Tera Knights are nothing more than dictators! You will destroy anything that stands in the way of your justice!" Isaac replies as his arm slashers extend.

"Then perish here!" Alvar says as he creates a shockwave with the slash of his sword.

Isaac cancels it out with a shockwave of his own before the two then clash in the air with their weapons. Isaac is holding Alvar's sword back with his two arm slashers in an X formation. Alvar flies back before sending another shockwave at the green knight. As Isaac blocks the attack Alvar appears to his side before kicking him towards the castle. He slams into the balcony before leaping back towards Alvar. As he leaves the balcony it breaks from the force used to leap and causes Susan to fall to the ground below.

"Susan!" Kael cries out to her as she is engulfed by the sand currents. Alister leaps in after her in hopes to save her.

"Susan!" he calls after her before also disappearing in the sand currents.

"No Alister! Nobody can survive that!" Kael calls to him realizing it is too late.

Alister can see almost nothing if it was not for the random beams of light that shoot into the sand due to the currents shifting back and forth. He makes out Susan's image below him as he finds it hard to breath. He realizes that if he is having trouble breathing Susan was in a much worse shape. He grabs hold of her as he attempts to climb through the sand. The currents keep pulling him down as he begins to lose himself. He shakes his head back and forth many times to keep himself from blacking out. Susan has no motion to her at all which told Alister she was near death.

"Model ZW please! Help me!" Alister cries out before a light blinds him. He finds himself standing in a field with high grass as Omega stands before him without a weapon.

"What do you want with me?!" Alister questions as Omega takes a step forward.

"I have tried to infect you… I tried to take control of your rage… my essence is dying out." Omega tells him as his form begins to blur in and out of view.

"Why does that concern me?" Alister asks.

"Because I can help you save the girl. In return… I will live on." Omega tells him before Alister closes his eyes to think it over.

"I agree but on my terms, not yours." Alister says as Omega seemed desperate when he takes a few steps forward.

"Name them!" the ancient reploid shouts.

"You can live on through me but only if I am in control at all times! You can have my power but only if I am in control! My body, my will!" Alister tells him before Omega stands before him.

"I accept your terms… I give my power freely to you… Alister Storm…" Omega says as his form turns into particles. The particles them surround Alister as he loses his Black Rockman form. One by one the particles fuse with him. Light passes by again before Alister looks to Susan as he looks above him. Kael watches with tears in his eyes before the shaking stops suddenly. Alister shoots out of the sand with Susan in his arms. He lands inside of the room where Kael is rushing towards him. Alister places Susan on the stone floor before placing his hands on her forehead. His hands begin to glow before Susan begins to cough up sand.

"Watch over her, I will be back." he tells Kael before disappearing from view.

Above them Isaac and Alvar continue with their power struggle. It ends as Alister appears behind Alvar and slashes into Alvar's back. The silver knight cries out in pain before turning his full attention to Alister. There is a faint red glow around Alister's body as his arm slashers extend. He disappears from view which shocks both Alvar and Isaac. Alister then attacks from Alvar's left causing the silver knight to turn that way. Alister then attacks from the right with a powerful kick to his neck. Alvar flies forward before Alister appears yet again and slashes towards Alvar, which creates a massive shockwave that rips into the evil knight.

"I underestimated your abilities again Black Rockman! I will not do it a third time!" Alvar shouts as he throws his cape around himself. He then disappears as Alister blacks out and loses his form at the same time. He falls to the now solid ground below before Isaac catches him.

"Rest Alister… I know the effects of the Zero Fade…" he says as he lands in front of Kael.

* * *

**_End of Chapter 56_**


	58. Chapter 57: Return

**_Rockman ZW: Genesis_**

**_Chapter 57: Return_**

* * *

Alister awakens to the feeling of comfort under him followed by a cool breeze that briefly rolls along his skin. The room is dark but has a light above him. He sits up in his bed to see Isaac and Kael looking back at him. A familiar face is directly to his right checking his pulse and blood pressure.

"Haley!" shouts Alister as he looks to Kael suddenly.

"We have actually been expecting you two for some time now…" Kael tells him while looking to Isaac.

"Then why make us go through the tests?" questions Alister as he stands to his feet.

"My men want a work out you know." he replies with a slight chuckle at the end.

"What about my test?" Alister continues as he walks over to Kael.

"My friend… you passed the test when you saved my daughters life." replies Kael as Susan walks out from behind him.

"Hi Alister…" she greets while turning her head to the right.

"Susan! Are you sure you should be walking around?" Alister seems to scold her as Haley walks past him.

"She is fine Alister, don't act like a second father!" the blonde scolds Alister back.

"With a girl like Susan I could sure use the help." Kael speaks as Isaac seems to chuckle at this.

"How do you feel Alister? Are you fatigued at all? Do any of your muscles ache at all?" Isaac repeatedly asks him before Alister finally starts to laugh.

"Who is treating who like a father would?" he laughs as Susan joins in the laugh. At that moment her laugh reminds Isaac of Angeline… the way she laughed with her flowing red hair that flips back and forth when her body replies to her laughs.

"I'm sorry… I must leave the room." Isaac speaks up as he leaves in a hurry. Kael soon follows as the other three continue to laugh in the room.

"Hey!" Kael calls after Isaac as he pulls his cape over him.

"What can I help you with?" asks Isaac as he continues on his walk before Kael forces him to turn around.

"I want to have a talk with you, now." Kael tells him with a hard and stern voice. Isaac of course nods thinking it is something important about the resistance. Kael leads him to the room where Alvar last visited.

"I take it this is a matter of importance?" Isaac questions while raising his left eyebrow

"I want to know… are you a Tera Knight?" Kael bluntly asks him while getting in his face. Isaac was silent for a few moments before walking past Kael. He walks over to where the balcony use to be and crosses his arms beneath his cape.

" I use to be." he replies expecting the worst from Kael.

"Why did you betray them?" the resistance leader continues his interrogation.

"I was called Leo at the time. I took this body long ago in hopes of liberating this world from the grasp of the Tera Knights. I apologize for not telling you sooner… this is not something I am proud of you know…" Isaac answers him as Kael walks up to his left.

"Tell me of who you use to be if that is the case, I do not want to know of who Leo is. I want to know who Isaac is." Kael tells him as Isaac turns to him.

"Very well." Isaac replies in a satisfied tone.

As Isaac begins his story Kael realizes that stands before him is a piece of the past world, a world that he has only dreamed about. He learns of where Isaac originally obtained Model ZW and his struggles in the world against the evil Rockman named Khan. How his love died in his own arms and the rage that erupted out of that event. The killing of one of his friends was also in the explanation. He tells Kael of the moment he gave his life to stop Khan and free the world from his iron fist… he also told of the moment where he took control of Leo's body, the fallen Tera Knight.

"From that moment on… I only knew that I needed to obey Alvar. It was not until I met with Omega an ancient evil, that I discovered who I really was…" Isaac explains while Kael simply holds his left hand under his chin.

"Amazing… you have some story there." Kael says with a deep breath.

"Your daughter Susan… she reminds me of my love… she looks so much like her…" Isaac tells him.

"Like you my love was taken from me… I miss her so much…" speaks Kael while looking to the ground.

"We share something in common it would seem." Isaac says while pulling his cape back over him.

"I guess we should get back to the others then…" Kael says before walking out of the room before Isaac follows behind him.

Isaac walks around the corner before entering into the dark hallway, the image of Alvar still fresh in his mind. He knew what Alvar was up to, it would seem the time to inform everyone else was now. He closes his eyes before taking a deep breath and clenching his fists, his heart racing like a pack of wild wolves at the moment. He then opens his eyes again before walking into the room full of his friends. Kael takes notice to his facial expression while crossing his arms.

"What do you have to say?" questions Kael while the other three turn their attention to Isaac.

"I have something to tell all of you… some of it I regret that I did not speak of until now." Isaac tells them.

"What is it?" asks Alister.

"Do you remember when I told you about the Book of Origins?" asks Isaac as Alister and Manabu look at each other.

"Yeah, you said it had the power to rewrite the world." answers Manabu as Kael has a curious look on his face.

"Alvar is always going on about some sort of book… I never knew it had this kind of power." Kael speaks up.

"Alvar is hunting for the Book of Origins again. If he finds it again the results will be horrible this time around." Isaac says while closing his eyes.

"So how do we stop him? It's not like we know where this book is." states Alister.

"I know who can help us find it." Isaac reveals which shocks both Alister and Manabu.

"You knew who can help us and never told us!?" shouts Manabu.

"If I revealed it to you then Alvar would have killed you for sure! I did what I had to do!" Isaac shouts back.

"Then who is it?" asks Kael.

"Alister… you hold it in your pocket." Isaac reveals as shock hits everyone there. Alister then takes Model ZW out and holds it in front of everyone there.

"How?" asks Alister before Isaac takes Model ZW from him.

"Long ago when I fought against someone called Khan I used the power of Model ZW to reform Tera. When this happened for some reason the Book of Origins was created, I do not even know how it was created myself… all I know is that the location of the Book of Origins lies inside of Model ZW." Isaac explains.

"If it is inside of Model ZW then that means it is safe with us." Manabu states.

"Not so… Alvar knows how to extract the information needed for the Book of Origins from Model ZW, he is merely waiting for the moment to strike. A sign of weakness from Alister would be the end of the world as we have come to know it." Isaac tells them.

"How do we unlock the information from the Live Metal?" a voice asks from the shadows before Forte walks out.

"Forte!" Alister shouts while taking a fighting stance.

"Calm yourself, I'm on your side." Forte says while holding up his hands.

"He's not lying Alister! He saved the Altsien and everyone inside from one of the Tera Knights!" Manabu tells him while standing in front of him.

"If you say so…" Alister mutters while relaxing.

"More to the topic of the conversation… how do we unlock the needed information?" asks Forte as he walks closer.

"I wish I knew…" Isaac replies while turning his head.

"You mean to tell me that Alvar knows how to unlock it but you don't!?" panics Alister.

"I'm sorry to interrupt… but if you can't unlock the location from the Live Metal then it should be safe from Alvar… right?" asks Susan as the others think for a moment.

"I certainly hope so… but there is something else I am worried about… Alvar knows that I betrayed them… he will return. This time in full force… this city is not safe so long as I am in it." Isaac states.

"You're not leaving this city." Manabu speaks up.

"As long as I am within its walls none of you are safe!" Isaac returns.

"So be it." says Kael while putting his hand on Isaac's shoulder.

"We're not safe anyways… Alvar knows that I am here as well as the fact that Kael has betrayed him as well. You're stuck with us pal." Alister says while crossing his arms.

"It appears so." Isaac chuckles to himself with a sudden clasp of thunder in the distance.

"I've come to really hate the sound of thunder." Manabu says with a stressed face.

"They are coming." Forte says before walking towards the balcony area. "Haley stay with the Altsien." he speaks into a com device.

"Roger that Forte." Haley replies.

"Kael, miss Susan, please stay here while we check this out." Isaac tells them while jumping off of the balcony and onto the next building. Alister, Manabu and Forte quickly follow being the green knight as they get closer to the walls of the city. They can clearly see four figures standing in the distance just waiting.

"I can see they got the message." Alvar speaks while crossing his arms before Isaac lands in front of him as the other three land behind him.

"Alvar!" Alister shouts while pulling out Model ZW.

"Get away from this place now!" Manabu adds while pulling out his own Live Metal out. Suddenly Isaac snaps his head towards Alister and Manabu before snatching their Live Metals from their hands. He then jumps to Alvar before standing next to him with a blank look to his face.

"What are you doing!?" Alister panics as Alvar begins to laugh.

"Completing his mission… that is what he is doing." answers Alvar while taking a step forward.

"Isaac… how could… you used us?" Manabu asks while feeling helpless.

"Master Alvar, I give you their Live Metals now." Isaac tells him while kneeling down in front of him presenting the two Live Metals to him with his hands cupped together.

"You have done well Leo, you may rise now." Alvar tells him while taking hold of Model ZW first.

"I won't allow it!" Forte shouts suddenly as he tackles Isaac from his right side. Model R flies through the air before Manabu leaps up to grab it.

"Rock on!" he shouts while transforming in mid air. As he lands on the ground he draws his two energy sabers while holding them out to his left side.

"Take them my knights!" Alvar shouts while pointing towards Manabu and Forte.

"Gladly my lord!" Wraith replies while dashing towards Forte.

"At once!" Ryzar shouts as his buster sword forms.

"My lord!" Tyzar adds while charging towards Manabu with his buster sword forming, his brother follows close behind.

"Isaac… why?" asks Alister while walking towards him with his hands reaching towards him.

"As I said before… I did what I had to do." Isaac replies before kicking Alister away.

"Ha-ha… you see Alister, Leo was never on your side. This entire time he has been my spy, giving me information about your progress, your location, and even who your allies are. I know everyone you have come into contact with… and everyone you have killed. I know about every single bit of it my friend, so do yourself a favor and surrender to me now…" Alvar tells Alister while holding his hand to the young hero.

"All this time… everything you taught me… it was all a lie?" Alister asks as tears form in his eyes.

"Everything I taught you was not a lie I assure you." Isaac answers him.

"Enough of this foolish talk, kill him Leo." Alvar commands before Isaac leaps forward to begin punching towards Alister.

Manabu blocks both of the Boanerges Brothers by leaping into the air. He then fires many shockwaves at them before landing behind them. They turn around in fury while swinging their buster swords at Manabu. He drops to the ground while rolling over to avoid the massive blades going over his head. A part of his helmet is clipped by Tyzar's blade as he flips over to regain his stance. The Boanerges Brothers begin to spark with electricity. Forte slams his right fist into the ground as an ice wave heads directly towards Wraith. The black knight draws his jagged blood red saber before slashing wildly at the oncoming wave of ice. Wraith then rushes towards Forte who is charging his buster at the moment. He takes aim before unleashing his attack on the knight who in turn leaps into the air to dodge the attack. Forte instantly takes aim before firing another charged shot. Wraith blocks the attack as he hits the ground below him, rolling over to dodge Forte's next charged attack. Wraith leaps towards Forte who then grabs the knight by his neck before sparking with electricity. The ancient robot then lets out a blast of electric power that sends Wraith flying back a few feet before he hits the ground hard. His armor is sparking wildly as he staggers to his feet with Forte dashing towards him almost instantly. Alister is hit numerous times by the punches of Isaac. His face is a bloody mess at the moment while he tries his hardest to dodge or block Isaac's attack. The green knight performs a series of kicks before Alister falls to the ground while gasping for air. Isaac picks him up by his hair before slinging him to the feet of Alvar who chuckles to this sight. Alister attempts to stand before Alvar steps on his back forcing him back to the sandy ground.

"Finish this Leo." Alvar tells him while taking a few steps back.

"As you command." Isaac replies while walking towards Alister who is basically lifeless.

Isaac picks him up by his hair with his left hand while his right arm slasher extends. He pulls back his arm preparing to strike before Model ZW begins to glow. Isaac remembers back to the moment where he was holding Angeline in his arms. Her words echo through his mind once again as he goes to another point where he is fighting against Khan in the volcano. His thoughts suddenly lock on to his current goal, to rid the world of the evil presence.

"What are you waiting for Leo? Do what you know is correct!" Alvar shouts to the green knight before he drops Alister. The young hero blacks out because of all of the damage done to his body.

"Do what I know is correct? I should have a long time ago Alvar…" Isaac replies while holding Model ZW in front of him. "Rock… Fusion!" he shouts as a brilliant light surrounds him. All around him everyone stops their fighting to keep the bright light out of their vision. The light disappears in a cyclone fashion, before them stands Isaac as Black Rockman once again. Instead of a silver scarf he has a silver cape that flips in the wind behind him. Isaac is still the same height as before but he feels even stronger.

"You dare to stand against me!?" Alvar shouts as he draws his saber.

"I find myself once again using you Model ZW…!" Isaac shouts.

"It is an honor… Alister!" Model ZW replies.

Isaac instantly disappears as Alvar looks around for his foe, keeping his focus on his back side. Isaac then appears from his right side as he back kicks into Alvar. The silver knight staggers around for a bit before he turns his attention to that direction. Isaac is gone again as Alvar is suddenly thrown forward from a massive shockwave that hit him from behind. Isaac rises to a fighting stance while Alvar turns to him, his saber flaring its energy like a water spout. Around them everyone has completely stopped fighting as they are more interested in watching this massive fight. Alvar holds his saber out to his left side before running forward, the sand is kicking up behind him as he picks up his speed.

Isaac extends his arm slashers before running towards Alvar, his arms are out at his sides while the sand also kicks up behind him. Right as the two of them clash they disappear from view. Everyone looks around to find them but they have completely vanished from their sight. Manabu looks above them to see the two of them appear for a moment while exchanging attacks before disappearing again. He knew that they were moving too fast for them to keep up with. Alvar takes both hands to his saber as he swings his weapon with tremendous force towards Isaac. At the very last moment before Black Rockman is hit he disappears before appearing above Alvar, aiming his arm slashers directly down at the silver knight. Alvar blocks the incoming attack while the two fall towards the ground looking like a falling shooting star.

They crash into the ground with Alvar hitting first, Isaac leaps off at the last moment as his foe creates a massive crater from the impact. Isaac stands there with his cape flipping in the wind before Alvar jumps out of the crater, his armor untouched. With incredible speed Isaac then dashes to Alvar while swinging his left arm slasher at the knight. Alvar blocks the attack with his saber while Isaac attacks with his right arm slasher from below. Alvar catches Isaac's right arm as the arm slasher is a foot away from his chest. Enraged by this Alvar throws Isaac into the air before jumping towards him. The two of them begin their struggle for power while rapidly clashing in mid air. Isaac attacks with his arm slashers in an X formation while Alvar brings his sabers down on Isaac. They begin to attempt to over power the other while glaring at each other. Suddenly Isaac smirks before breaking the lock, disappearing from view again. This time Alvar is thrown to the ground but this attack felt different than the others. As he lands on the ground he looks above him to see Isaac falling down in a green armor and a red cape with a cannon on each arm.

At that time Alister staggers to his feet while holding his head. He looks around to see someone using Model G against Alvar, searching his pockets franticly he finds that he does not have Model ZW. Isaac then charges his two cannons as their glow lights everything around him. At that point there is a flash of light behind him as two missile pods appear on his back, instantly firing and heading towards Alvar. The silver knight leaps into the air while slashing wildly at the eight missiles, falling directly towards Isaac who takes aim towards Alvar. He then unleashes his charged attacked which rips apart the ground around him, Alvar blocks against the attack as the light engulfs him. Everyone including Alister is in awe at the tremendous amount of power that Isaac has with Model ZW. As the light dies down Alvar barely manages to land safely on the ground as his armor sparks and there is cracks on his helmet and the rest of his armor. The silver knight holds his left arm while the armor on his body begins to glow.

Very slowly the cracks on the armor begins to close together while Isaac realizes he can slowly heal himself and his armor. Isaac then leaps into the air while firing his cannons at the ground, giving him a boost of speed along the way. He then begins to charge his cannons while firing his missiles again, this time unleashing the charged attack directly over Alvar. As the blast dies down the missiles hit and create a cloud of smoke, leaving everyone including Isaac in patience. Alvar then leaps out of the smoke looking to be unharmed, making Isaac somewhat enraged. The two land in front of each other as they both take a fighting position. At that moment Alvar suddenly begins to glow red before sparking wildly, his body shooting off massive amounts of electricity. He holds his head and swings it back and forth before suddenly stopping, dropping his arms to his side. Isaac returns to Black Rockman as he takes a few steps back realizing he has seen this before. His mind races back and forth as he begins to shake, knowing of what that is about to come. A small light appears in the right hand of Alvar before he holds up something that makes Isaac tremble, something he never thought he would see again.

"Rock on…" speaks Alvar as a red beam of light shoots from his towards the sky.

"This can't be!!" Isaac shouts while trying his hardest to withstand the force.

The red light dies down while Alvar takes two steps forward, his armor no longer silver. He is wearing green armor with the shoulder pads reaching the same length as before. There is some blue in his stomach area, along with his elbows and thighs. The rest is green armor with some white along the edges. His helmet is green as well but there is something that Isaac recognizes that shows him he is correct in assuming his worst fear has come to pass. Under the eyes of Alvar is a blue scar like color that goes down on his face.

"Hello again Alister… or should I say Isaac?" asks Alvar as Isaac walks closer to him.

"How!? How are you still alive!? Khan!!" shouts Isaac while the others look in shock towards Alvar.

"Funny story… yes I am Khan… after you destroyed Model S in the last world, I disappeared from existence… but just like you I was able to take control of another body… slowly influencing him to find the last remaining piece of Model S… I was then able to influence the Tera Knights to do my work for me… I am in control now!" Khan tells them as Isaac clenches his fists.

"Not a chance! You're a monster!" Isaac shouts while dashing towards Khan who instantly forms a jagged looking scythe. The two of them clash which creates a massive shockwave that throws everyone back. Isaac then flies towards the others before losing his form. Alister then leaps into the air and catches Model ZW.

"Why… why didn't he use the power of Model O?" Alister thinks to himself as Isaac stands to his feet.

"He couldn't use that power because that power lies within you now, not me." Model ZW chimes in as Khan walks closer to everyone else.

"Lord Alvar! What are your orders?" Wraith asks as Khan suddenly sticks his hand into Wraith's head.

"I have no use for you anymore!" Khan shouts as Wraith disappears forever. His jagged red sword drops to the ground as everyone looks to Khan in horror. Ryzar and Tyzar disappear with a flash of lightning as Khan laughs to himself.

"Cowards! I will find them sooner or later!" Khan laughs while looking to Forte.

"No you won't!" Alister shouts while holding Model ZW in front of him.

"That's right… there is another Black Rockman… a pity you are weaker than the original. I have been watching through Alvar's eyes, learning, growing in power… what makes you think you can stop me?" asks Khan as Alister closes his eyes.

"Alister… say the words I am about to speak… repeat them as they are used to power me up…" Model ZW tells Alister as he closes his eyes, listening closely to every word spoken by Model ZW.

"Is this a joke or something? Open your eyes Alister so you can see the end coming towards you!" Khan shouts.

"No Khan… there is no way I am going to allow you to win in this world or any other world! There will always be a Black Rockman standing in your path! I am the eternal light that destroys all evil! Rock Fusion!" shouts Alister while a blinding light surrounds him.

"Good job Alister… you are unlocking more of Model ZW's secrets… you are growing in power and I know you can defeat Khan." Isaac thinks to himself as he simply falls to the ground motionless. Manabu and Forte rush to his aid as Alister steps out of the light as Black Rockman.

"Model ZW… Model O… lend me your strength!" Alister shouts as he extends his arm slashers.

* * *

**_End of Chapter 57_**


	59. Chapter 58: The Final Lesson

_**Rockman ZW: Genesis**_

_**Chapter 58: The Final Lesson**_

* * *

Alister glares directly at Khan who swings his scythe back and forth, watching Alister closely. Alister takes one step forward before disappearing completely. This shocks Khan as he did not expect the new Black Rockman to adapt so quickly to Model ZW. Alister slashes at Khan from the side as he barely blocks the attack with his scythe. Khan jumps into the air as Alister chases after him, his body begins to give off a faint glow as a face mask closes over his mouth. He then sticks his arms out before spinning rapidly in a cyclone fashion. Khan swings his scythe at Alister before Black Rockman disappears again, attacking him from behind. As the two of them hit the ground Alister leaps away while breathing hard, the Zero Fade taking its toll on him. Khan rises out of the ground with his weapon in hand laughing while looking at Alister.

"You have potential but you are nothing compared to the original Black Rockman." mocks Khan as he walks towards Alister.

"We'll see about that!" replies Alister as he slashes towards Khan from a distance. This sends shockwaves at Khan who just seems to slap at them to block. Khan then vanishes before appearing in front of Alister.

"As I said… nothing compared to the original!" shouts Khan while slashing across Alister's chest forming a deep cut on Alister. At that moment Isaac begins to move before rising his head back up noticing that Alister is down.

"Alister…!" he calls after him.

"Still alive are we? That just proves your worth compared to this one!" Khan tells him before receiving a kick to his face by Alister. Khan staggers back a bit before taking notice to Alister's chest, completely healed from his previous attack.

"Take this!" shouts Alister as a green aura forms around him. Suddenly his form changes to Model G as he takes aim at Khan.

"You're on the right track I'll give you that kid!" Khan shouts before slashing towards Alister causing a shockwave to head directly at Alister. He then fires the twin energy cannons as the shockwave disappears in the laser blast, hitting Khan directly in his chest. The tainted Tera Knight flies back before flipping over. He slides across the ground before finally stopping, realizing Alister was already behind him in his normal form.

Alister slashes with both arm slashers as Khan rolls forward, bringing his scythe towards Alister the entire time. Alister leaps into the air and twists to avoid being sliced in half, his arm slashers glowing the entire time. Suddenly Alister can predict the movements of his enemy, laid out in front of him clearly. Khan slashes upwards from his side while Alister flips, at the same time smashes his feet into Khan's chin. The Tera Knight staggers a bit as Alister punches him in his face. Enraged by this Khan spins his scythe a few times before it begins to glow, the saber on his hilt glows then disappears, forming Khan's original double scythe. Alister's arm slashers stop glowing as his legs begin to glow, the Black Rockman dashes around Khan at amazing speed before the Tera Knight slashes at the ground around him, kicking up sand everywhere. Alister appears in the air while Khan appears behind him, catching him off guard. Khan swings his double scythe while Alister twists to dodge the first attack, punching Khan in his face at the same time. While the second part of Khan's scythe comes around Alister grabs the staff of the scythe and uses it to get under Khan. He then jumps towards the ground while slashing wildly at Khan throwing many shockwaves at him. Khan blocks a few of the attacks before the last three hit him in his chest knocking him to the ground. Alister lands safely while Khan smashes into the ground as he drops his double scythe. Khan stands to his feet again while sparks fly from his body, a bit of blood coming from his face under his mask.

"You're not so easy to kill… not like I thought…" Khan tells him while looking to Isaac.

"That is what you get when you mess with the eternal light!" Alister returns as his feet stop glowing while his helmet begins to glow.

"Maybe so… I am not use to this body yet… something that will soon be taken care of!" shouts Khan as he disappears for a moment. He then appears above Isaac before attacking both Manabu and Forte, knocking them away from Isaac. Alister tackles Khan from his side as Isaac staggers to his feet.

"Don't worry about me Alister…" Isaac says while putting his hands on Alister's shoulder.

"What do you mean?" asks Alister as Khan jumps into the air behind them. Suddenly Isaac kicks into the air and hits Khan in the stomach, dropping him to the ground.

"How…" thinks Khan as he stands to his feet again.

"It's like Alister said… that is what you get when you mess with the light!" shouts Isaac as his arm slashers extend. "Keep up the good job Alister…" adds Isaac as Alister gets an uneasy feeling inside of him.

Isaac charges directly towards Khan as the two of them engage in a fist lock, Isaac's arm slashers inches away from Khan's neck. Khan breaks the lock as his double scythe appears in his right hand again. Isaac brings his left arm slasher around while Khan slashes with his double scythe, barely missing Isaac's head. A cut appears on Isaac's face as he squints his eyes, determined to bring this monster down one way or another. Isaac then disappears before Khan begins to flip backwards, the green knight appears to his left side while Khan leaps into the air. His double scythe completely cuts off Isaac's left arm slasher while Isaac charges forward with his right. He instantly cuts through Khan's double scythe as one piece sticks into the ground. Khan gets close to Isaac before kneeing him in the stomach, the green knight gasps in pain while Khan puts his hands together and slams his fists down on Isaac's neck. In the cloud of sand that appears Isaac disappears again as Khan follows. In the distance Alister can see a trail of sand shooting up into the air knowing it was them fighting at such amazing speed. Khan throws his remaining piece of the scythe at Isaac who deflects it with his left arm, cutting deep into his skin. Khan begins to laugh before Isaac punches him in his face breaking part of his mask. Khan punches Isaac in his face as the green knight flies backwards. He flips over as Khan suddenly knees him in his stomach again, repeating the last attack again and again before Isaac disappears. He appears a few feet from Alister before falling to the ground, beaten and bruised. Khan appears in the distance while Alister stands in front of Isaac who staggers to his feet again.

"No Alister… do not get in my way!" Isaac tells him while pushing him out of the way.

"Playing the hero one more time Isaac? You must realize that without Model ZW you cannot heal yourself, something that I have been doing for some time now." Khan tells him as Alister opens his eyes in realization. Isaac was going to kill himself just to buy time, time for Alister to grow in power.

"No matter what… I'll always be in the light… always!" screams Isaac in a tired voice as he rushes towards Khan, his armor breaking all over. Khan forms his double scythe again as Alister begins to run towards them. As Isaac nears Khan the Tera Knights completely runs him through with both ends of his scythe.

"Isaac! No!!" Alister calls after him as the green knight falls to the ground. Suddenly Forte and Manabu attack Khan from his side as Alister rushes up to Isaac before falling to his knees in front of him.

"Guess that was a stupid move…" Isaac speaks while blood rushes from his mouth.

"Why!? Why did you do it!?" Alister asks him with tears falling from his eyes.

"You're still so young… you have so much to learn…" Isaac replies while coughing. Alister then returns to normal before holding Model ZW over him.

"Use it! Use Model ZW to heal yourself!!" Alister commands as Isaac pushes Model ZW away.

"It's too late… Alister. If I had of been using him… this would be different." Isaac tells him as Alister hangs his head.

"You did this so I could get stronger…? Didn't you!?" Alister shouts.

"Yes Alister… you have something that I never had… you have a life to go back to, a world that needs you… I was a thief with nothing to lose. You have everything to lose… so please… stop Khan." Isaac tells him as he grabs Alister's right hand and grips tightly.

"I can't do it without you…! You're my teacher! You know more about Model ZW! More than I do! You still have to teach me!" Alister tells him while shaking his hand back and forth.

"You're right… this will be your final lesson… up until now you have not been fighting to the fullest that Model ZW can provide… embrace the light to rebuke the evil in the world… you are stronger than me Alister… at least your name is correct…" Isaac says while coughing again.

"What about my name!? What does that have to do with anything!?" Alister questions with an angry tone.

"Your name means defender of mankind…so become that… defender…" Isaac tells him before his hand becomes heavy, dropping to the ground.

Alister snaps his head to look at Isaac, his completely still body. Model ZW begins to glow as Alister stands to his feet, a bright light explodes behind him. He looks to Isaac's body to see him glowing brightly. Slowly his body begins to fade away but one thing remains. A small glowing orb of light with a small trail behind it. Model ZW begins to float in the air before the orb of light fuses with Model ZW. Alister grabs it before a faint voice echoes in his thoughts.

"Your final lesson Alister… this is all the knowledge that I posses of Model ZW… all of his powers are now yours to command… the eternal light that will destroy all evil!" Isaac's voice tells him before disappearing forever. Alister looks to Model ZW which is hovering next to him, with the eyes glowing brightly. He takes hold of Model ZW before holding it in front of him.

"For Isaac and everyone that died under his care… I will destroy Khan and make sure that he dies this time… Alister…" Alister says before Model ZW begins to glow. "Rock Fusion!" he adds as his body is engulfed by the light. Khan throws Manabu and Forte to his side before taking notice to Alister standing behind him.

"Back for more? Tell me how Isaac died… I would like to hear every part of it." Khan says as Alister's facial expression turns from calm to angered. Without warning Khan is flying into the air as Alister attacks him continually from every direction. Forte looks above to see Khan being attacked by a streak of light with no form.

"What is going on up there?" Forte asks himself as Manabu loses his form and sits up.

"Whoa… what is that?" asks Manabu while the two of them stand to their feet.

"No more Khan! You die today!" Alister tells him as Khan begins to laugh.

"Did you really think I would chance revealing myself and dying in the first day?" Khan asks him before Alister slams him down towards the ground. The impact was so great that Forte and Manabu could feel the power from the ground shaking. They rush over to the crater to see Khan's body lying in the middle, his arms and legs are missing while his armor is beyond repair. Alister appears over him with his arm slashers held to his throat in an X formation.

"What do you mean?" asks Alister as Khan laughs again.

"You have beaten my double image… good job Black Rockman! You see I need time to adapt to this new body… at my current strength you would easily over power me… just as you did this body. No… we will meet sooner than you think… the location of the Book of Origins has been revealed to me just now… you know it too… don't you?" asks Khan while Alister takes away his arm slashers.

"I do…" replies Alister.

"Very soon my friend… very soon I will reclaim the Book of Origins… until then… train as much as you'd like… Model S lives forever!" Khan suddenly shouts before his body blows up.

"Alister!" Manabu and Forte both call after him as Alister stands completely still throughout the explosion. His scarf flips back and forth in the wind as he looks at his right hand.

"Your name means defender of mankind…so become that… defender…" Isaac's last words echo through his mind as he clenches his right hand and grips tightly as Forte and Manabu both rush up behind him.

"You alright Alister?" asks Manabu.

"I use to think Model ZW was a curse to me…" Alister speaks as Forte walks closer.

"What?" asks Forte while Manabu gives a curious look.

"I always thought of Model ZW as a curse, I would always get into fights because of holding onto him. Now I see that I was wrong… Model ZW is a blessing, a gift from one defender to another… I am Black Rockman now and forever… the eternal light that destroys all evil…" Alister speaks as he looks up towards the cloudy sky.

* * *

**_End of Chapter 58_**


	60. Chapter 59: The New Path

_**Rockman ZW: Genesis**_

_**Chapter 59: The New Path**_

* * *

It is a gloomy night as thunder clasps all around City One, everyone is shut tightly inside of their homes. They know that the sound of thunder normally means that the Tera Knights are on their way there. While everyone in the city is locked up Alister makes his way to the throne room of the castle where the rest of his friends have already gathered. Kael sits on his throne with his daughter on his right, her eyes showing a sign of being tired. Beside Alister stands Manabu who has his arms crossed at the moment, his eyes shifting back and forth from time to time. Forte stands in front of Alister with Haley to his left standing completely still at the moment while looking down at the ground.

"Alister." Kael suddenly speaks as he looks to the king of the land.

"Yes?" asks Alister while walking forward.

"Manabu told me what happened… I am sorry about Isaac…" speaks Kael as Alister smiles.

"Don't be, this is how he wanted it all along… I'm sure of it. So please don't let his death make everyone here sad or depressed, he wouldn't of wanted it like this." Alister replies while Susan looks to Alister with such compassion in her eyes, gazing at him for the longest time.

"What are we going to do now? With Isaac gone we have no idea what Alvar's next move is." states Haley as everyone is silent for a moment.

"Alvar is dead…" Alister speaks up as Forte takes a step forward.

"He's right, there was another in the battle, his name is Khan, someone I hoped that was still dead." Forte tells them while crossing his own arms.

"If he was dead then how did he come back to life?" asks Haley.

"You have to remember Isaac did the same thing." Alister tells her as she looks to her left.

"So Khan must have been working in the background the entire time, manipulating the Tera Knights to his will… what reason would he have to return from the dead?" asks Kael before Alister walks to the throne.

"The Book of Origins, Khan is looking for it. He knows where it is and if he gets the Book we will all for sure regret it." Alister explains.

"How does he know where it is?" questions Haley.

"He must have seen the location while fighting against me, after all Model ZW is the key to finding it." says Alister while closing his eyes. "But for some reason… I think Khan is lying at the same time." adds Alister.

"What do you mean?" asks Kael while leaning forward.

"The only ones that should know the location of the Book of Origins is Model ZW and myself… Khan must be waiting for me to find it so he can steal it from me." explains Alister.

"Then it's simple, you never find the Book of Origins." states Manabu before Alister shakes his head.

"I have to find this book Manabu, this is something that goes along with being Black Rockman, I have to do this." Alister tells him as Manabu gives him a stressed look.

"You sure don't seem like the Alister I know." Manabu tells him while walking towards him. "I'll be with you until the end my friend." he adds while putting his hands on Alister's shoulders.

"Me too!" Haley jumps in with a smile on her face.

"I'm too far in to back out now, I'll see this through to the very end." Forte speaks up.

"Very well… you all have my support in this. Take whatever supplies you will need for this trip, you have my permission for anything or anyone that you want to take." Kael tells them while standing to his feet.

"Thank you Kael." says Haley while nodding her head.

After time passes in the night everyone prepares to leave the same city that they fought so hard to get to. Forte stays with Haley and Manabu as they each help load food and clothing into the Altsien under the city. Many workers wearing a blue uniform are hard at work on the giant red base, some of them replacing the armor of the outer hull. Above the Altsien on a walkway is Alister watching everyone there. He is leaning against the rails of the walkway as Susan walks up to him. He looks to her before looking at the Altsien again wondering how this trip will end up.

"You're troubled… aren't you?" asks Susan while leaning up against the rail next to him.

"I am… I feel like I'm the only thing stopping their deaths… even though I know that's not true." Alister tells her while closing his eyes.

"You care a lot for them that's all." Susan says while leaning forward a bit more to look at Alister's face.

"I don't want any of them to die because of me… it's such a horrible thought… to think someone could die because of your actions." continues Alister as Susan puts her left hand on his right shoulder.

"Alister… nobody is going to die because of you… you are a strong and brave young man." Susan tells him.

"You have no idea about the things that I have done, the people I have killed… the rage that use to run through my veins… I was so selfish…" Alister says while looking at his hands. Alister closes his eyes as a tear runs down his face, suddenly a smooth touch grips his right hand as he looks to Susan who looks back at him, their eyes locked on each other.

"Alister you are not a monster and you never will be. You are a kind hearted soul who is always looking out for others… you are not a selfish person Alister…" she tells him while moving closer.

"Susan… I… I'm not sure I can do this… what if I can't win? The world will fall if I fail again…" Alister continues as Susan gets right in his face.

"What do you mean again?" she asks while breathing into his face.

"I'm not sure…" he replies before Susan suddenly kisses him on the lips.

At that moment Alister really didn't know what to do, his thoughts suddenly scrambled as he returns the feelings to Susan. At that same moment his fear vanished replacing it with the courage to do what is needed in order to survive. The feeling of uncertainty was replaced with a clear goal in his mind, to save the world and keep it safe from Khan. He wanted to protect the world because she was in it and all of the people he cared about. Susan takes a step back while smiling, her face flustering a bit as Alister looks at her with such compassion in his eyes.

"Susan… I…" starts Alister as she puts her finger on his lips.

"Understand this… I will go with you to the ends of the planet. I want to go where you go, to get to know you. Please allow me to come with you on this trip, this is what I want Alister. To be close to you." she tells him as he looks away.

"You could get hurt Susan… I'm not sure that is such a great idea." he tells her while looking back at the Altsien.

"I'm a strong girl, ask any of the resistance." she tells him with a stern voice.

"I don't know…" continues Alister.

"I promise you I will not die Alister." she tells him as he turns back to her.

"Alright, I'll go talk with your father about it. Stay here…" he tells her as she smirks to his reply.

"You want to go in by yourself and ask my father for me? You're braver than I thought…" she jokes as Alister shakes his head. He walks past Susan before making his way to the throne room where Kael sits leaning forward, his fist under his chin.

"What can I do for you Alister?" he asks while sitting back.

"Actually… Susan… no… I would like for your permission to allow Susan to go with me." speaks Alister as Kael's eyes lock on to Alister's.

"Did she put you up to this?" he asks while looking him over.

"Well… kind of… it was my idea to personally ask you though…" Alister replies as Kael walks towards him.

"So tell me why I should let her go with you… give me a good reason." Kael says while getting real close to Alister.

"Um… I want her by my side?" Alister replies as Kael crosses his arms.

"She's very special to me Alister, she better come back alive." Kael tells him before walking past him and out the door. "Ugh… hormones…" he thinks to himself as he looks for his daughter.

"Alister." Model ZW speaks up suddenly which startles Alister a bit.

"What is it?" asks Alister while trying to hide the fact he was just scared out of his wits.

"I'm sorry for not telling you any of this before…" Model ZW tells him as Alister pulls the Live Metal out of his pocket.

"What do you mean? You have always been looking out for me right?" asks Alister while raising his left eye brow.

"Yes… but you deserved to know the truth sooner." replies Model ZW.

"Model ZW… you are a good friend to me, I wouldn't trade you for anything in this world. You have given me the ability to help those in need, to be their hero. You have no need to apologize to me." Alister tells him as Model ZW does not reply this time.

Alister places it back in his right pocket before walking out of the throne room. As hours go by the Altsien is completely repaired and ready for deployment. Haley does not want to waste any time as she rushes to return to her command bridge. Inside Lariat and the crew stand to salute her, a warm welcome all the way around for her while she sits down in the Captain's chair. The base begins to move as Alister and Susan walk to the very top of the Altsien. Kael takes notice of this and runs to the edge of the platform to see his daughter smiling back at him, he knew she was happy with Alister, happier than she was under his shadow. He waves back and forth as Alister and Susan both wave back, soon going back inside of the Altsien. Kael watches as the Altsien disappears inside of the large tunnel leading back to the surface, his face manages a smile as he turns away from the crowd of workers and resistance members.

"Go with God my friends…" he whispers while entering an elevator before the doors shut tightly after him.

* * *

**_End of Chapter 59_**


	61. Chapter 60: The Warrior In Blue

_**Rockman ZW: Genesis**_

_**Chapter 60: The Warrior In Blue**_

* * *

The Altsien base moves along the desert with Alister standing on the top, the wind blowing his hair back and forth. Manabu walks up the steps from below before spotting Alister standing along the rails. He walks over to Alister as he leans against the rail before looking right at Alister. He knew that something has changed in Alister in the events of the past few days. He wondered what Alister was going to do from this moment on.

"What's on your mind?" Alister suddenly asks as Manabu raises his left eye brow.

"It has been a long time since we talked." Manabu states while ignoring his question.

"Yeah… it has. I'm sorry about that…" Alister tells him while looking towards him.

"Don't be, you always seem to have a lot to do." replies Manabu with a smirk across his face.

"Things were hectic then but not anymore. I want to make sure that everything is simple from now on." speaks Alister as Manabu closes his eyes.

"You know good and well that it is still going to be hectic." Manabu tells him while losing the smirk.

"It's good to dream isn't it?" asks Alister with a stressed look to his face.

"So what now? What are you going to do now?" questions Manabu.

"What do you mean?" returns Alister.

"I was watching your last fight… against that Khan character. That was the fastest I have ever seen you fight and so powerful at the same time… what will you do with all that power and speed?" asks Manabu.

"You make it sound like I am going to join forces with Khan." speaks an aggravated Alister.

"That's not what I meant at all…" Manabu mutters to himself.

"I feel different now. I always felt so weak as I am right now, but the weakness would go away when I used Model ZW. I could feel strong and like I was worth something, that I could really make a difference in the world. Now that Isaac is gone forever, I feel as if I am still using Model ZW even now… the amount of power that I feel flowing through my veins at the moment. It scares me at times… what if I hurt those close to me by mistake?" asks Alister before Manabu stands straight up.

"As far as I'm concerned you fear your own power instead of wanting more. That does not sound like anyone that would hurt his closest friends on purpose. What was that phrase you used when fighting against Khan?" asks Manabu.

"I am the eternal light that destroys all evil." replies Alister.

"It fits you." states Manabu before walking away from his friend.

Alister stands there for a moment to think to himself, thoughts of Khan rushing towards him continue to invade his thoughts. He takes a deep breath before letting out a sigh, his thoughts suddenly clearing in the process. He can see a grass field with two figures in the distance. The grass around Alister himself is really tall and easily passes over his head. There are certain points in the grass where he can see the two figures again as he heads back into the tall grass. As he gets closer and closer to the two figures he can see that they are holding hands and looking away from Alister. Faster and faster Alister runs as the grass seems to begin to grow even taller shrouding him in darkness. At that moment a bright light shines over his head as a hand reach through the tall blades of grass. Without hesitation Alister reaches for the hand only to barely miss it, seeming to sink down into the ground suddenly. As the light fades away and he loses vision of the hand reaching for him. He opens his eyes to look around the Altsien, finding nothing there.

"You just remembered something from your past life Alister." Model ZW tells him as Alister holds his head.

"Is that what that was? Those two figures… they seemed so familiar to me." Alister tells him while walking towards the stairs. Suddenly he can feel a presence behind him, whirling around to see the strange shadow that threatened him in City One.

"We meet again." the shadow greets as Alister gets into a fighting stance.

"What do you want with me?" he asks while keeping his hand over his left pocket.

"I am not here to fight, besides… I would lose this time." the shadow tells him while Alister regains his normal stance.

"Then you have something to tell me?" asks Alister.

"I was sent by Kael to become your personal body guard, it is an honor to serve you Alister." the shadow speaks to him.

"But you are meant to protect him! What will he do without you?" asks Alister as the shadow moves a bit closer.

"While being his personal bodyguard I have never had to protect him, he can take care of himself I assure you." the shadow tells him.

"So the form I am looking at right now… your using something that shrouds your true form? Or are you using some sort of Live Metal?" questions Alister as the shadow lowers her head a bit.

"You are sharp, I can see why Kael sent me to guard you." the shadow speaks before fading away.

"But which one… she never told me." thinks Alister as he turns around to walk down the stairs.

He passes by many people who look new to the ship. He can tell because they look like they are lost in the massive ship. He takes time to show some of them around and tell them who to avoid or who to not avoid. Haley watches him show them around on her new security system that is next to her chair. A smile goes across her face before turning around to speak with Lariat about something. Alister walks into the medical room before walking past a green mask on the wall. He stops instantly and looks to the mask, Isaac's mask. Minutes pass by before he walks out of the room, leaving the mask on the shelf. Upon leaving the room the alarms begin to sound as he makes his way to the bridge. As he walks out of the elevator to the bridge his eyes lock onto the viewing screen which shows a town in flames. The people of the town are running through the streets screaming, some of them are on fire. Forte comes through the elevator next as he looks to the viewing screen before standing next to Alister.

"This is horrible…" Manabu speaks up as he stands up from where Haley and Lariat are.

"Haley! I will go put those fires out!" Forte shouts to her as he enters the elevator again.

"Take Alister and Manabu with you!" she shouts back as the two enter the elevator with Forte.

"I can put out the flames if you two make sure the people get to safety!" Forte tells them before they nod in agreement.

As they reach the top of the base Forte instantly takes to the air as he flies towards the town. Alister and Manabu transform before leaping off of the Altsien, heading towards the town which Forte has already reached. They can see him shooting ice waves along the ground of areas that do not have people running around. Alister takes one area while Manabu takes another, the two of them clearing people out of their homes and clearing the streets so Forte can put out the flames. Alister can see someone wearing a cloak in the distance as he runs up to that person.

"Hey! It's not safe here! You need to leave right away!" Alister tells the person while attempting to grab him or her.

"Don't you dare touch me… you were the one that did this!" the person shouts as he realizes it is a woman. "Rock on!" she suddenly shouts as Alister is thrown back by a burst of blue light.

"I just got here! How could I do this!?" panics Alister as he looks to the woman.

She has blue armor on now with what looks like a blue version of Forte's buster gun on her right arm, only a bit larger than his is. There is a golden ring around the buster gun with white along the edges. The woman is wearing blue armor for her chest plate with a golden brace holding the armor together under her neck. A blue helmet with a red gem in the middle above her forehead. Under the red gem is a white strip of armor going along the bottom part of the helmet. She has white armor on her thighs and pelvis followed by blue armor on her legs and feet. She is also wearing a black body suit underneath all of the armor. Her green eyes glare at him as she charges her buster gun aiming it directly at Alister.

"You're going to pay for everything you've done here!" she shouts to him while unleashing a massive blast from her buster gun.

"I guess I have no choice but to fight her!" Alister tells himself as he dashes out of the way of the blast.

Alister leaps towards the blue armored woman as she brings the buster cannon around to fire multiple rounds at him. He twists in the air before bringing his right fist around, punching her in the face. She slides back a bit before firing another charges blast, throwing her back even further. She slams into a house that is on fire at the moment as Alister runs towards the home. Another blast is fired from the inside only this time the blast is engulfed in flames. While dodging the attack he looks to the woman who holds her left hand out towards the flames, absorbing them into her shots. Her armor turns to a red color as she jumps into the air while firing multiple shots at Alister. Black Rockman sends a few shockwaves at the woman before she holds out her left hand to absorb his shockwaves. Her armor returns to normal before turning to a green color, a smirk going across her face while this is happening. She takes aim again before firing Alister's own shockwaves back at him. He uses his arm slashers to deflect the attacks as the woman falls towards him with her buster gun first. Alister allows her to get close before disappearing. The woman looks all around her before Alister appears behind her slashing at her right shoulder. His attack pierces through her armor as she cries out in pain, the blood squirting out of her fresh wound. She whirls around to attack Alister only to see he is not there anymore, a sudden feeling of pain shoots across her body as he slices into her left shoulder. She falls to the ground as Alister appears in front of her watching her every move.

"Go on… kill me… like you did many of those that lived here." she tells him with such hate in her eyes.

"Listen… I'm not sure what you mean by all of this is my fault but I just arrived here to help these people. This is the first time I have ever been here… so you tell me how in the world I killed some of these people and set their town on fire." Alister says before running in the opposite direction. The woman staggers to her feet as her wounds slowly begin to heal.

"Model X… he didn't finish me off… is he telling the truth?" she asks her Live Metal.

"That was the true Black Rockman and Model ZW, I could feel the presence of the original." Model X replies as the woman gets an aggravated look.

"Then why didn't you tell me this before he had to defend himself!?" she shouts while running in the direction that Alister went.

Forte hit's the ground as an ice wave melts into the flames, Manabu races to get the people to safety as Alister suddenly appears while four people in his arms. He disappears before appearing again with more people in his arms. Manabu has a very stressed look to his face as Alister continues to appears and disappear with people from the town. Forte finally puts out the last flame as Manabu returns to normal while Alister continues to bring more people to safety. Finally Alister returns to normal as the woman from before walks up to their location, returning to normal herself. She is wearing a blue vest that looks similar to her Rockman armor, and white shorts that reach to her knees. Alister could see where she got the black body suit. Her hair is in a ponytail that reaches halfway down her back. Forte was able to get a look at her before she returned to normal, he knew who she was.

"So that is what you look like under that armor…" she starts while looking at Alister. "Somehow… I knew that is what you looked like." she adds with a silly face to follow.

"I'm Alister Storm." he says while extending his hand.

"My name is Aile." she replies while shaking his hand. A sudden thought of wandering through the tall grass comes to Alister's mind for a brief moment before he shakes it off.

"I'm sorry I attacked you before… Model X informed me that you were the real Black Rockman after our fight." she tells him as Manabu is curious now.

"You know about me?" asks Alister.

"I don't, but Model X seems to know a lot about you." she replies.

"Model X… the name sounds familiar." speaks Alister.

"It is good to see you are still around Model ZW." Model X speaks to his Live Metal friend.

"Likewise Model X." replies Model ZW.

"My name is Manabu, nice to meet you." Manabu speaks up while waving. Forte is silent the entire time before he takes to the sky a moment later.

"Let's go back to base Alister. Do you want to come Aile?" asks Manabu as she nods her head.

"I would like that very much." she replies as they all head towards the Altsien.

* * *

_**End of Chapter 60**_


	62. Chapter 61: The DNA Hunter

_**Rockman ZW: Genesis**_

_**Chapter 61: The DNA Hunter**_

* * *

Aile finds herself on the command bridge with Alister sitting across from her at the conference table. Manabu sits next to Alister on his left with Haley next to him on the left. Lariat is just sitting down to the right of Alister as Forte stands in the corner. Aile runs her fingers through her hair before leaning back in her seat, being sure not to make any sudden movements to alarm her new friends.

"You name is Aile correct?" Haley asks while breaking the silence.

"Yes." she replies.

"You hold the Live Metal called Model X?" asks Lariat as she leans forward.

"Yes." Aile replies again as she puts Model X on the table in front of everyone.

"That's the same one alright…" Forte thinks to himself while continuing to watch.

"What are your thoughts on the Tera Knights?" asks Haley while watching the facial expression on their new ally.

"I've fought against one of them before actually… his name was Leo I think." answers Aile while Alister looks down at the table.

"I see… so you managed to defeat him?" asks Lariat.

"No, I had no chance against him. Leo is different than the other Tera Knights… he's kind and sensitive to those around him. He trained me for a bit before disappearing. I haven't seen him since." Aile tells them while Alister looks up at her.

"So if you knew Isa… Leo, then it seems like we can trust you." Haley tells her while extending her hand.

"Great! I look forward to fighting on your side!" Aile returns as she shakes Haley's hand. At that moment Alister stands to his feet before leaving the room, Susan pops up to follow him as Forte does the same thing.

"I may have a new view on my existence… but I am still Forte, the eternal rival of Rockman… no matter what form he takes." the black hunter thinks to himself while walking into the elevator with Alister and Susan.

"Are you alright Forte?" asks Alister while looking to him.

"I'm fine." he replies while getting off on the very next floor. The elevator seemed to have a lot more room with him out of the way, Susan frowns as the doors shut tightly.

"If Isaac knew Aile, we can surely trust her. But…" starts Alister.

"But what?" asks Susan while leaning forward to look at his face.

"I feel like… I know her somehow… it feels so strange." Alister replies while holding his right hand over his right eye.

"Really? Must be one of those Drifter things…" she speaks while leaning up against the back wall of the elevator.

"I'm sure there is a lot of people I have met in my past life… but this one is different… I feel a warmth from her, I can't really explain it." Alister continues as the elevator opens. The two of them walk out into a dark hallway. The two of them being careful not to hit anything that may be in the way. Alister leans against the wall before slowly sliding down to the floor. Susan bends over before sitting down beside him, taking notice that his body is shaking and trembling.

"Alister? What's wrong?" she asks while getting closer to him.

"My head…! It hurts!" replies Alister as he shakes it back and forth. He continues to shake his head for a while before calmly lying on the floor, the pupils in his eyes are completely white.

"Alister! Alister! Wake up!" panics Susan as she searches for an emergency button. She finds one at the end of the dark hallway before slamming her fist on the button before the alarms sounding soon after.

"What's going on!? What is happening down there!?" Haley's voice comes in over the speakers.

"It's Alister! He won't wake up and his pupils are white! Please someone help!" Susan replies even though she has no idea where to shout towards.

"Stay there I'm sending help!" Haley tells her as the elevator begins to move.

"Alister… what's going on with you right now…? Please make it…" she speaks to him as the elevator doors open behind them.

"Wake up Alister time for school!" a voice echoes through his head before he suddenly opens his eyes.

He sits up to look around finding himself in a room filled with books and pieces of paper. He takes notice that he is in a bed without a shirt on and wearing blue and red boxers. The bed covers are white as well as his pillow, a bit strange for his taste he thinks while getting out of the bed. He suddenly strikes something on the floor as he sits back down on his bed while holding his foot. He searches for the item which he struck, it is a picture of a woman and a man with a small child standing in the middle of them in the front. Their faces are blacked out at the moment which was another strange thing Alister noticed about this place. He looks at the walls to see that they are white as well with pictures and posters all around him. All of them have faces that are blacked out giving him a creepy feeling. There is a computer desk across from him with a laptop sitting in the middle. He looks at the floor this time as he walks over to the computer, moving a lot of stuff out of the chair in front of the desk. He presses the power button as the laptop turns on, going through the normal start up screens. His desktop is full of files that are taking up space, even he knew that he needed to delete a few of them. As he moves the mouse across some of the files he begins to get sudden flashbacks of events that seem new to him, but so familiar at the same time. One flashback involves leaping off of a building as he lands safely on the ground, facing towards a large shadowed opponent while running towards him. He deletes that file before clicking on another, showing him walking down a street that is full of cars. Most of them with their doors shut except for one which has a woman getting out of the car. Alister can see her smile before deleting the file. He continues to view each file before deleting them one at a time, making sure he knows what is on each file. A little while later he has four files left, each of them titled in his name. He clicks on the first one as the monitor shows him as a really young boy playing in the sand with two figures standing over him, laughing at him playing with his bright yellow toys.

"He has your looks." one states while the other laughs.

"But he has your hair color and eye color" the other replies as the two of them laugh.

Alister deletes the file before moving on to the next one, showing him riding inside of a car. The drivers brown hair is flipping in the wind since the windows are down. The inside of the car is white with white colored seatbelts. The driver turns to Alister as parts of the face are noticeable, it is a woman. Alister deletes this file before moving on to the next. It shows him sleeping in a green bed with red covers, the same woman walking into the room before nudging him trying to wake him up. As Alister wakes up the woman hands him a brown bag that looks like it is full of something. She then hands him a backpack as he deletes the file. He stops for a moment as he looks over the last file wondering if he should open it or delete it first. He prepares to press the delete button before continuing to open it anyways. It shows him running through tall grass with two shadowed figures in the distance, the two of them holding hands. As Alister runs towards them the grass around him seems to grow even taller blocking out the light. He can suddenly feel himself falling and falling fast. The light dies out quickly as he can feel his heart beating extremely fast as if it was about to leap out of his chest. Without warning a beam of light shoots into the darkness as a hand is extended towards him. Alister takes the hand before losing his grip and slipping back down into the darkness. The hand dives in after as Alister finally gets a good look at the woman's face, Aile.

"I have you son!" she tells him as he can feel the love and compassion from her voice. At that moment Alister deletes the file as an incredible amount of light fills the room, blinding him at the same time. He opens his eyes before sitting up in another bed, this one a bit harder than before. Susan rushes towards him before Haley steps in her way making sure she doesn't hurt Alister.

"How are you feeling?" asks Haley while turning around and walking towards Alister.

"I feel… fine. What happened?" asks Alister with a curious look.

"You passed out suddenly." she replies while checking his eyes with a small flashlight.

"How long have I been out of it?" he asks as he takes notice to Aile standing behind Susan with her left hand in front of her mouth, a worried look to her face.

"About an hour, you really scared Susan." Haley tells him while turning the light off. "Well you're fine. If you start to get that kind of a headache again come here right away." she adds while placing the light next to Alister's bed.

"I will, thank you Haley." he thanks her before getting out of the bed. "Where is Forte?" he asks as Susan walks closer to him.

"I think he is at the top of the base." she tells him as Alister walks out of the room without even looking at Aile.

"He knows." Model X tells Aile as she smiles.

"I know he does… mothers always know." she replies. Alister walks up the steps to the top while looking around for Forte, finding him halfway down the ship. He walks over to him as Forte moves his head to watch Alister.

"Forte… I have a question for you." Alister starts as he stands beside him.

"What is it?" Forte asks.

"I need to know something… you remember things from the previous world… I want answers for all of the questions that I have." Alister continues while Forte watches him now.

"Be warned if I tell you too much it may hurt you… or even worse." Forte tells him before turning to him.

"I am prepared for that, I have to get answers from somewhere!" Alister says while slamming his fists on the rail next to them.

"What do you want to know?" asks Forte as Alister closes his eyes for a moment.

"Is Aile my mother?" he asks as Forte lowers his head a bit.

"Yes, she is most definitely your mother." he replies with a lower tone as Alister opens his eyes.

"You don't like her?" he asks while tilting his head a bit.

"Your mother is not the one I despise… it is her Live Metal, Model X." replies the black hunter.

"What did Model X do to you?" questions Alister.

"X did nothing to me. The only reason I despise him is because within Model X is a small part of the original Rockman. The original Rockman and X were created by the same person so naturally they would share similar powers." Forte tells him while closing his eyes.

"That was centuries ago wasn't it? Why hold a grudge against something for that long?" asks Alister.

"It would be easy to forget if I was human… but it is programmed into me, even though I may believe it to be wrong. I was created for the sole purpose of defeating Rockman, you must understand this." Forte explains as Alister lowers his head a bit.

"I see." he replies while looking to the sky.

At that time they can see a small figure hovering above them. The two of them continue to watch the figure as it becomes larger by the second. The figure finally comes close enough for them to see that the figure is a robotic raven with a short yellow beak. It has a human form but has the body of a raven. The eyes are teal color as they look over his body, the pitch black feathers cover him completely. His wings look like gargoyle wings that are a lighter black color. The raven lands on the Altsien as his sharp claws dig into the roof.

"Can I help you with something?" asks Alister while walking towards him.

"Yes you can…" he replies before throwing many sharp feathers at him. Alister jumps into the air as Forte blocks the attack from before.

"Khan must have sent you!" Forte shouts as he throws his cape to his side, preparing to fire his buster gun.

"He did send me! I will bring your heads in as a trophy so Khan will reward me greatly!" the raven caws at them before extending his wings. He begins to flap them as Alister lands behind him, instantly transforming.

"You picked the wrong base to attack!" Alister shouts as he slashes at the back of the raven. He clips part of the right wing as the raven lifts into the air and turns around to face Alister.

"You little punk! I'll teach you a lesson!" the raven screeches as he dives towards Black Rockman.

"That was the best line you could come up with? If Khan is going to continue sending reploids like you after me, I should just give myself up." Alister says while dodging the raven.

"Shut up!" the raven yells as he throws more sharp feathers at Alister. Forte sends a wave of ice in the path of the feathers as they are frozen in place. At that moment Aile walks to the top of the Altsien to see them fighting off the raven reploid.

"Model X!" she shouts while holding it in front of her.

"I know!" he replies as she transforms. The raven picks Alister up with his razor sharp claws before a blast hits him in the back, knocking him down.

"Leave him alone!" Aile shouts as Forte takes notice to her charging her buster gun. He does the same thing as Aile unleashes the attack. Forte does the same thing as the raven suddenly leaps into the air. The two attacks clash as a shockwave hits Alister from above. He rolls along the roof of the Altsien base before flipping over. Suddenly they can see red dots all over the raven.

"Now what are you doing?" asks Alister while walking closer to it.

"What are you talking about?" asks the raven as the red dots seem to lock on to areas of the ravens body. One red dot locks on to his chest as two lock on to his shoulders. Another pair locks on to his legs while one more locks on to his forehead. The raven looks at his body as he takes to the air with many of his black feathers falling down to the base. Suddenly they can hear a single shot being fired as six shots fly into the sky, striking the raven back down to the base. Another Rockman lands in front of everyone before the Rockman walks closer to the raven. This Rockman is holding two guns and has what looks like a spark plugs coming out of his back.

"Careful! He's dangerous!" Aile shouts to the Rockman.

"I know." the Rockman replies, showing everyone that it is a boy talking.

"What are you going to do?" asks Forte while watching him bend down next to the raven.

"Begin the DNA copy." speaks the boy as the ravens body begins to glow. Soon after the raven completely disappears leaving only a small circuit board quickly crushed by the new Rockman.

"DNA copy? What is that?" asks Alister as the boy turns around to face him. He is suddenly engulfed by a sphere of light as the raven steps out.

"This is what I was doing. I can use the DNA of fallen reploids or others and copy their forms and powers. All the way down to their weakness…" the boy tells them before returning to his original form. He then moves his arms to his side before showing his normal form, a boy with almost silver hear and dark colored skin.

"Have I met you somewhere before?" asks Aile while returning to normal as well. Alister does the same thing as they all walk closer to the new Rockman.

"My name is Grey, and I doubt we have ever met before. My Live Metal is called Model A. Now that we have the introductions out of the way I want to talk to you about Khan." the boy tells them as they all listen closely.

* * *

**_End of Chapter 61_**


	63. Chapter 62: Passing Storm

_**Rockman ZW: Genesis**_

_**Chapter 62: Passing Storm**_

* * *

The young reploid boy Grey stands at the top of the Altsien base while the sandy winds blow past him. He has his eyes closed at the moment while wondering to himself if he is doing the right thing by asking these people for help. He knew that he couldn't face Khan on his own so this had to be the only way. On the other hand he would be getting these people in danger by asking them for help, but judging by the reploid that recently attacked them he figures they are already in danger of being attacked by Khan. The reploid boy opens his eyes as he turns his head to the stairs. Alister walks up the stairs quickly followed by Haley making sure that she doesn't slip down the stairs

"This is who you were talking about?" she asks Alister.

"Yeah, this is Grey. He defeated the raven reploid I told you about." replies Alister while nodding his head.

"Is this the Captain?" asks Grey while walking closer to them.

"Yes, my name is Haley." she greets while extending her hand to him.

"I am here to talk about Khan so I hope you have some time to spare." he tells them while ignoring her hand.

"Well… go ahead." she replies while slowly lowering her hand.

"I will start from the very beginning. I was Khan's lab rat, at the time it was Alvar doing all of the experiments. Day in and day out he would test guns, types of ammo and many more types of weapons on me to see if I could handle it." Grey starts as Alister is already shocked.

"Why would he do such a thing!?" questions Alister.

"As you may have already guessed, I am a reploid. Most if not all of my body is made of robotic parts. Khan began to see that my body resisted basically all types of damage done to me. He began to show interest in transferring his mind into my body, giving him the perfect body to take control of the world with." explains Grey as Alister crosses his arms.

"Then you escaped?" asks Haley while taking a step closer.

"Yes, but before I escaped I stole Model A from Khan and used it for good instead of his evil. I escaped weeks ago after he and the other Tera Knights left at the same time giving me the chance to get out of there. Later on I find out that Khan surfaced and Alvar is no more. You must understand that whatever Alvar did it was because Khan was forcing him to do so." Grey tells them as he looks to Alister.

"Do you mean to tell me the Tera Knights were being controlled this entire time?" asks Haley.

"That is correct. All that you see around you… the land, the sky and the world… all of it is the result of Khan twisting the Tera Knights to his will. I have come here to ask you to help me in fighting against Khan. I cannot allow him to find the Book of Origins, not again." Grey calmly explains.

"I understand where you are coming from." speaks Alister.

"We would be honored to have you with us Grey." Haley tells him while extending her hand again. This time Grey shakes her hand before shaking Alister's as well.

"Unless I need repairs I will stay up here. I do not need food or water to survive, only energy. Is that acceptable to you Captain Haley?" he asks her while looking back to her.

"Please call me Haley, I don't like the Captain title. If that is what you want then I don't have the right to stop you Grey." Haley tells him before turning around to walk back down the stairs. Alister walks to the rail as Grey walks next to him.

"So you can copy any form that you want?" asks a curious Alister.

"I can only change into the form of a defeated enemy or if I have collected DNA through other means. If I was to find a broken down reploid I would be able to take the remaining DNA particles to gain the form." Grey answers him.

"Is that your natural ability, or does it come from your Live Metal?" questions Alister.

"What? Do you really think this kid could do all of that without me?" asks a sarcastic sounding voice while at the same time it sounds young.

"Don't be rude Model A." Grey speaks.

"Sorry Grey… hi! I'm Model A!" Grey's Live Metal greets as Alister gets a funny look to his face.

"I'm Alister and this is Model ZW." he returns "Model A seems to have more of a personality than the other Live Metals." he thinks while scratching his head.

"I can hear you…" Model ZW tells Alister as he jumps a bit.

"You are the one that defeated Khan's double… correct?" asks Grey while turning to Alister.

"Yeah… there is no telling how many copies I will end up defeating until facing the real Khan." Alister replies.

"If Khan does send more copies, they will only become stronger every time." Grey tells him while looking away from him.

"You were locked up and tortured for the longest time… can you tell us anything about the location of his base? Anything that would be of any use to us at the time?" asks Alister.

"When I escaped I used a teleportation system, so I have no idea where the base if located." replies the reploid boy.

"That's alright, it was worth a shot." speaks Alister with a heavy sigh that follows.

"You should be more concerned with finding the Book of Origins." states Grey.

"I'm in no rush. I get the feeling that Khan is waiting for me to find it for him. He's following me somehow I just haven't figured it out yet." Alister tells him as Grey looks at him with an odd look.

"If that is so then you should be careful with the friends that you make from now on." Grey tells him as Alister takes a few steps away from Grey.

"Yeah you're probably right. I'm going back inside, welcome to the fight Grey." Alister says while walking away and holding his left hand up.

"I need no welcome to a fight I have been fighting for a long time now…" thinks the reploid while exploring the roof of the Altsien. As Alister walks down the stairs a shadow sticks out in front of him before taking form of his bodyguard.

"Alister do you trust the reploid boy?" the shadow asks him while rising out of the stairs in front of him.

"He seems alright, I mean anyone that can escape from Khan's own lair has to…" Alister starts before he stops talking, thinking about what he just said.

"Now you get the picture." the shadow says before disappearing. Alister leans against the walls of the narrow staircase while crossing his arms.

"Grey couldn't be working for Khan… could he?" he asks himself while walking down the stairs.

Alister decides to return to his room so he could rest a bit, he was starting to get tired from everything that has been going on. The door to his room opens before he walks in taking off his shirt and throwing it across the room somewhere. He takes Model ZW out of his pocket and places it on the table next to him before sitting down on his bed, scratching his head before yawning. He realizes that the lights are still on before sighing to himself. He stands up and walks over to the switch before flipping it down. He walks back to his bed before tripping over something on the floor.

"I've got to get that switch moved somewhere else…" he grumbles before crawling into his bed with another yawn.

All he could think about at the moment was Aile. Thanks to Khan he has no real memories of her or even who his father is. The thought of it made him angry but then he thought of Susan and her smile. How that smile of hers made him happy, the thought of her in his life made him giggle a bit. He pulls his covers over him before closing his eyes hoping to get some sleep. He soon falls asleep before he begins to dream, but this dream felt so real to him. It was as if he was living it at the moment. His mother is telling him a story about a friend of hers that died saving the world, his name was Alister, son of the legendary reploid Zero. She tells him of how he died fighting against an evil man and how he restored peace to the world all on his own. A bright lights begins shines from behind Aile before he looks around to see that he is standing in front of a statue. He looks at it closely before realizing it is Isaac and Black Rockman with a broken Model ZW at their feet. Model ZW is inside of the statue as a tribute to Isaac. As he looks over the statue he can suddenly hear growling and snarling behind him, swirling around to see a couple of dog type reploids. Alister backs up to the statue as the robotic beasts walk closer, barking at some points. The ground begins to shake as Model ZW begins to glow, suddenly repairing its self in an instant. One of the dog reploids lung towards Alister as Model ZW shoots forward. Alister grabs Model ZW without realizing what he is doing. Suddenly he is fighting off the reploids without breaking a sweat. The two reploids run away as Alister looks at his hands knowing that this was the start of something incredible for his life. The dream goes black as he suddenly sits up in his bed, taking notice that he is not sweating this time, he is completely calm. A sudden clasp of thunder can be heard before the Altsien shakes, causing the alarms to sounds.

"Let's go Model ZW!" shouts Alister as he grabs the Live Metal. "Rock Fusion!" he adds while sprinting through the halls, soon disappearing in a sphere of light. Outside of the base Grey is walking away from the base, walking towards two figures that are standing in the distance. The reploid boy holds Model A in front of him before transforming, instantly taking aim with his two pistols.

"Ryzar and Tyzar… I wonder what you two are doing here." Grey speaks as the two Tera Knights slowly walk towards him.

"Grey! So… you did escape from the prison!" Tyzar replies while forming his buster sword. Ryzar does the same as they continue to walk towards Grey. At that moment Black Rockman appears next to Grey while extending his arm slashers. Forte flies up behind them with both Manabu and Aile hanging on to him. The two transform before all five of them surround the Boanerges Brothers, preparing to attack.

"What do you two want? You're outnumbered so just give up now!" Alister tells them as they all get into a fighting stance.

"I wish we could give this up… but we cannot." Tyzar replies while lowering his buster sword.

"What do you mean?" asks Manabu.

"He speaks the truth. We have tried to forget about you and your little base but for some reason we must continue until it is destroyed! We do not wish to hurt you yet we must destroy the Altsien!" Ryzar tells them while rushing towards Forte.

"Your mistake." Forte speaks before knocking Ryzar back towards his brother.

"You must understand… my brother and myself wish to leave you in peace but something will not allow us to! We must continue until one side is dead!" Tyzar shouts to them as he begins to swings his buster sword around, generating a massive amount of electricity.

"I get it, you're being controlled by Khan against your own will. If that is the case then I will allow you to rest easy." Grey says as he takes aim with both of his weapons.

"It's the only way Alister, you must do it." Model ZW tells him as he transforms into Model G.

Tyzar sends a wave of electricity that locks everyone but his own brother in place. Aile moves her left hand directly into the current of electricity as she begins to absorb it, turning her armor to a bright yellow color. She takes aim with her buster gun as Forte sends a wave of electricity at the Boanerges Brothers. Aile charges her buster gun before firing a large blast full of electric power. The two attacks hit Ryzar and Tyzar as they absorb the attacks as well.

"These two can conduct their own electricity we can't use that against them!" Manabu shouts while dashing forward, drawing his two sabers at the same time.

The red warrior leaps into the air as the Boanerges Brothers bring their massive buster swords around to kill Manabu. He instantly flips in the air as he barely avoids the two buster swords. He lands in front of the two brothers before slashing towards both of them, cutting into their sides before dashing away from them. They fall to their knees before Grey targets the two of them with his sights. Red dots appear on their bodies before he fires a large laser blast that separates into six mini shots, hitting their respected target almost instantly. The two brothers begin to shake back and forth as a small amount of smoke rises from their bodies. Aile returns to her normal color before charging her buster gun, Forte does the same thing as he moves closer to Aile. The two of them fire at the Boanerges Brothers as they fly back a distance before sliding along the sand. They struggle to stand as Alister walks towards them with his two cannons making a humming noise.

"I wish there was another way… a way that we could work together to stop Khan." he tells them while they finally make it to their feet. "You had no intention of destroying the Altsien… you came here to ease your pain didn't you?" he asks them as they look at each other.

"It never use to be like this… things use to be peaceful… this was a world that was worth keeping. Khan changed that…" Ryzar says as he drops his buster sword, slowly falling to his brother who drops his own weapon to catch him.

"Black Rockman… please stop Khan, we beg of you. He cannot be allowed to live… if there was any ounce of the original Tera Knights within us… we could do something to stop this… now Black Rockman! Do it now!" Tyzar shouts to him as Alister takes aim with his two cannons.

"Rest easy…" he whispers before firing a massive blast that instantly takes away their pain. Alister stops the laser blast as two lights hover above the spot where they use to be. The lights soon join together before hitting Alister.

"We freely give you our electric powers. Use them well." Ryzar and Tyzar's voice speaks inside of Alister's head as he looks at his hands, feeling the power race through him.

Suddenly he returns to Model ZW before a yellow light surrounds him. Everyone there watch in interest as Grey walks over to the spot where Ryzar and Tyzar died, searching for any form of DNA that he could copy. He finds a small bit from both of them as he instantly takes the DNA samples. Alister steps out of the yellow light in a new form, literally sparking with energy. Instead of his normal black and silver colors, he looks just like the Boanerges Brothers only a smaller version. He holds his hands out in front of him as a buster sword that fits his size forms in his hands. He looks to the sky before returning to Black Rockman, clenching his fists the entire time.

"Are you alright?" asks Aile while walking up to him.

"Khan won this fight, even though he didn't fight in it. One way or another one group of his enemies was going to fall today. It makes me sick to realize that we did him a favor today." Alister replies before walking back to the Altsien.

* * *

**_End of Chapter 62_**


	64. Chapter 63: The Book of Origins

_**Rockman ZW: Genesis**_

_**Chapter 63: The Book of Origins**_

* * *

The Altsien comes to a halt near a shadowy city, all of it showing no signs of life. This city seemed to look darker than the others, less light was shining into the city. The side of the Altsien opens as the six jeeps inside of its hangar rev up their engines, the lights and headlights turning on as they begin to move out. Most of the jeeps are the same black color, but one yellow jeep is leading the group in an arrow fashion. Inside of the yellow jeep is Haley at the drivers seat with Manabu in the passenger seat. In the black jeep to the right of them is Alister who is driving, with Susan in the passenger seat. Aile and Grey sit in the back of their jeep as all of them head towards the city. Forte flies high above them while watching the area closely, searching for any threats should they show up.

"It seems clear from up here." Forte speaks into a com device.

"Alright, thanks Forte." Haley replies as she accelerates.

The five jeeps following her does the same thing as they enter the city. It is a large circular city with large streets everywhere. The buildings look like they are centuries old, the mold and mildew has collected everywhere. The ground seems to be unstable in certain areas so Haley makes the order for them to get out and walk the rest of the way. As Haley and Manabu get out of their jeep the vehicle in the very back comes to a stop, suddenly cracking the ground under it. The two that are inside of the jeep leap out of the vehicle as it falls into darkness down below.

"This is a very strange city." states Alister while walking up to Haley.

"Yes it is… are you sure this is where the Book of Origins is?" she asks as Grey turns his head to them.

"Why would the Book of Origins be in a place like this?" asks Grey while crossing his arms.

"I'm not sure but this is the place. I can't really explain it, I just know that the Book of Origins is here somewhere. It may be out in the open, it may be hidden underground." Alister says while putting his right hand under his chin.

"That would certainly explain why there is an extremely large black hole under the city." Manabu chimes in as Forte flies directly over them before landing next to Alister.

"I have scanned the entire city. There is at least eight hidden passages that lead down below." Forte tells Alister as he looks around.

"The only problem is finding the right path…" he speaks as he walks away from the group.

"I hope he knows what he is doing…" Susan thinks to herself.

"Maybe we should split up, we could cover more ground that way." Haley suggests.

"No, if we do that only one group would make it out alive. We will have to stay together on this one." Grey speaks up while walking towards Alister.

"Forte, show me where these paths are." Alister says as he walks over to him.

Forte then flies into the air as Alister grabs his hands. The two of them fly into the sky as Alister looks around as he is flown around the city. Forte drops him off at many locations as Alister walks into many buildings. The black reploid hovers for a few moments each time as Alister returns to go to another location. After an hour of waiting Alister and Forte finally return to the group as Alister lets go of Forte's grip, falling at least two stories up. Susan somewhat panics as Alister lands nearly perfectly in front of them, impressing Susan a bit.

"Don't do that again!" she shouts before hitting Alister on his left shoulder.

"He's just like his father." Aile thinks to herself with a stressed look on her face.

"Did you find anything?" asks Haley while Grey moves closer.

"Half of the tunnels are blocked off, and two of them are full of water for some reason… we only have two choices. There is a building about three blocks away from here that has one of the tunnels, the other is inside of a well but there is no way down unless you just drop like I did a second ago." Alister explains while rubbing his shoulder a bit.

"Then let's go to the building you mentioned before." Haley says as her men in the jeeps drive back to the Altsien, leaving only her yellow jeep and Alister's black jeep.

The six of them start their walk as Alister continues to look around. There is something about the place that is giving Alister a bad feeling. They walk the three blocks before coming to a three story building that seems to be cleaner than the rest. This makes Haley think about who has been there before them. They enter the building and walk into what looks like a lobby for a company. Manabu walks around to the back of the desk that is in front of them before walking back around. They look around them to see that there is a set of stairs on their right, but the stairs on the left have been destroyed. Alister walks between the stairs and behind the desk as he puts his hand against the back wall and begins to search for something with his hand.

"What are you looking for?" asks Susan before they all hear a clicking noise.

"That." he replies as the wall opens in front of him.

Forte takes the lead as he holds up his left hand. It is quickly engulfed in flames as he uses it for light. Haley follows directly behind Forte followed by Aile and Grey. Manabu follows behind the reploid boy as Alister holds Susan's hand behind everyone. She walks close to him as Forte turns a corner, leaving them in the darkness. They turn the corner as the flames die down, leaving them in complete darkness.

"Alister… where did they go?" she asks.

"I'm not sure." he replies before releasing her hand.

"Alister! Give me your hand!" she shouts as a bright light appears next to her. There is a blue glow in the room as she looks to Alister who is using the cannon charge from Model G to light their path.

"I didn't mean to scare you Susan, I was just going to shed some light on the situation." he jokes as she punches him on his shoulder again.

"At the moment I hate that phrase!" she shouts to him as he takes her hand again. Suddenly two bright lights come from the chest plate of Model G, lighting the path even more than the cannons.

"Apparently the creator of Model G was prepared for everything." says Alister while stopping the charge.

They turn the same corner that the others walked around before suddenly free falling down below. Alister grabs the screaming Susan and begins to slide down the walls. They look below them to see a flame under them, realizing that everyone must have fallen down. As Alister lands Susan jumps out of his arms, walking towards Forte's flame. Alister follows close behind her as they catch up with everyone else. They take notice to the lights coming up behind them as Forte puts out the fire.

"That's pretty handy." states Manabu as Alister crosses his arms.

"Now I feel like a giant flashlight for everyone." grunts Alister as Susan laughs to herself.

"It's nice of you to shed some light on the situation." Haley jokes as Manabu starts to laugh.

"Well, I understand how Susan feels about that phrase now." he sighs before walking ahead of the group.

This time Forte takes the back while Alister leads them through a narrow path ahead of them. Alister barely manages to squeeze through as everyone else has no issue. He begins to lead them down a path that is slanting down, followed by a small drop. As they continue the path begins to get larger and larger, soon turning into a large platform. Alister steps onto what seems to be a button as a light turns on in the distance. They walk towards the light as the lights on Alister's chest turn off. As they walk closer a small pillar rises out of the large platform, on it a large stone case with a hole under it on the pillar.

"This has to be it… but this is just a stone case." Alister says as he looks the stone over.

"Maybe it's inside of it." said Susan as they all look at each other.

"You may be right, but how do we get it to open?" asks Manabu as Grey looks the pillar over, taking special notice to the hole under the stone case.

"Look at this… I would guess that something needs to be placed in this hole for it to open." Grey tells them as Alister looks closely at it.

"You know…" Alister starts before returning to normal, taking Model ZW in his right hand. "It almost looks like it was made for Model ZW…" he finishes as he places Model ZW inside of the hole, which is a perfect fit. The stone case flies open suddenly as everyone but Forte and Grey jump from the sudden noise.

"So this is it… the Book of Origins…" Haley says while looking inside of the case.

The Book of Origins is an extremely large red book, with a golden trim along the edges. The old looking book has a swirling gold trim that reaches the middle of the cover from all four corners, almost looking like swirling vines. They stare at it for a few moments before Alister walks closer to it, looking it over closely. This is what Isaac told them about, the very same book that Khan is searching for. One of the only things standing in the way of Khan and his evil plans. Alister touches the book before a light engulfs everyone there. Alister looks around to see Aile and another man looking at him, his father. He suddenly remembered everything about his past life. His father's name is Blake Storm, holder of the Live Metal Model B. Manabu is his best friend, it was no coincidence that he met him in City Four. He remembered everything, including the fight against the Tera Knights before the world was reformed in the way Khan wanted it. The light dies down and disappears as Alister and Manabu look at each other with a shocked look to their faces. Manabu saw his past life as well, realizing that when he was born he had a brother. He saw Aile's face and another man watching him.

"I'm… your brother?" asks Manabu as he looks to Alister.

"Yes, you two are brothers." Aile speaks up as she walks closer to them.

"Well… that was unexpected." Haley says while scratching her head.

"Let's get the Book of Origins to a safe place on the Altsien." Alister tells them while looking around. He looks above them to see that the well he dropped down before was directly above them. He takes Model ZW from the hole before transforming into Model G again, charging his cannons again.

"Take cover!" shouts Manabu as everyone runs off of the platform. Alister then fires the two cannons as the ceiling is torn apart, releasing the light from above as the rocks and stone fall down. Forte wastes no time in grabbing the large book and lifting it to the surface. Alister transforms into Black Rockman while picking up Susan and jumping to the surface. Manabu does the same thing with Haley while Grey follows them. They can see Forte loading the book into the back of Haley's jeep as Alister walks over to it.

"We have to be careful, Khan is waiting for us to find this book." Alister tells him while returning to normal. Suddenly a laser blast shoots through his chest as he falls over. Everyone looks to see who shot the laser as the barrel to Grey's pistol smokes before he puts it away.

"Grey! Why did you do that!?" Manabu shouts as he draws his two sabers.

"My orders were to take the Book of Origins and to kill Alister Storm. Now I must return with the Book of Origins to Khan, so he can mold the world to his will once again." replies Grey as he takes aim at everyone else. Many red dots appear over them as they remain completely still, not wanting to make the wrong move.

"What about escaping from Khan!? What that all a lie!?" Manabu yells as he looks to Alister.

"It was a needed story so I could get close to all of you." Grey says as Alister suddenly stands to his feet.

"It all makes sense now…" speaks Alister as he glares at Grey, a single red dot appearing on his head.

"How did you survive that?" asks Grey with a curious look.

"Model ZW can heal me extremely fast, so if you can't take me out in the first shot it's best for you to just give up." Alister replies with a smirk.

"Then I will just be taking the Book of Origins now." Grey says as he moves around them.

"It all makes sense… Khan sent you to spy on us, he knew that we would trust you and allow you to join us! Khan knew we would be able to defeat the raven, but since you were the one that destroyed him he knew we would trust you! It didn't add up… why would Khan send a reploid after us if he had already told me himself that he knew the location? You have been sending him information this entire time!" Alister shouts as he holds Model ZW in front of him.

"Don't do it Alister! I can take the Book of Origins without harming any of you!" Grey shouts back while raising his pistol a bit higher.

"Everyone, take the Book of Origins back to the Altsien, I will deal with Grey personally." Alister tells them as Grey's weapon begins to shake a bit.

"Got it!" Manabu replies as he leaps towards Haley and Susan, grabbing them at the same time. Grey fires towards them before Alister jumps in the way of the shots before transforming into Black Rockman, deflecting the shots to the ground before tackling Grey.

The two of them roll along the ground before Grey kicks Alister off of him, taking notice that Black Rockman jabbed one of his arm slashers into his left arm. Grey slides along the stone ground while firing his two pistols at Alister. Black Rockman slashes at the laser bursts as he falls to the ground. As he hits the ground Grey flips over before a light surrounds him. Alister gets into a fighting stance before a laser blast is fired at him. Alister rolls out of the way as Grey walks out of the light in a red armor. Alister remembers that this is one of his mothers powers, Model ZX. The pistol in his left hand disappears before an energy saber appears in his right, flaring it around quickly before rushing towards Alister. Black Rockman rolls out of the way as Grey slashes towards him, cutting into a part of Alister's shoulder armor, bringing a bit of blood. Alister snaps his head towards his foe as Grey charges towards him again, this time leaping into the air. He brings the saber down on Alister as he disappears from view. Grey hit's the ground as a pile of rocks fly up out of the ground, angering Grey a bit. Another light surrounds him as Alister appears above him, wondering which form he will take now. A barrage of bullets fire towards him as Alister twists in the air to avoid, taking notice that the bullets are fire bullets, burning his face a bit. Alister drops down on Grey before slashing wildly at him with his arm slashers, the ground cracking underneath them while they clash with each other. Grey punches at Alister with his massive guns which throws Alister back into the air. A wave of fire quickly follows after him before Alister sends a shockwave at the incoming attack. The two clash as Alister lands a few feet from Grey, raising his right arm into the air. Grey is engulfed by another sphere of light as Alister leaps backwards before a barrage of ice daggers fly towards him, nearly pinning him against the wall of a nearby building as he flips out of the way. Grey's blue form glows a bit before he slashes at the ground. A block of ice forms in front of him before it begins to shake. From the block of ice shoots what looks like an ice dragon, flying towards Alister before he leaps into the air to dodge. The tail of the dragon whips Alister on his leg before a block of ice forms around his left leg causing him to fall to the ground. Another sphere of light surrounds Grey as Alister struggles to free himself of the ice block. Grey dashes towards him in a green form as he throws his arms to his sides, extending two arm sabers. A pair of boosters behind Grey begin to flare up as he slashes at Alister, who in turn blocks the first left slash with his own left slash. Grey then kicks Alister into the air before following after him, slashing wildly. Alister kicks towards Grey with the leg that has the ice on it as it cracks and breaks on Grey's helmet. The two of them fall to the ground as Alister falls to his left knee, holding his leg and rubbing it back and forth. The cold was starting to get to him. Grey holds his two arm sabers into the air before a lightning bolt fires into the air, striking Alister down to the ground. Grey walks a bit closer as a yellow sphere of light surrounds Alister. He walks out of the yellow light with the armor of Ryzar and Tyzar on, sparking with energy. Grey runs at Alister as he transforms into a purple armor, throwing daggers at Alister while coming to a stop. Alister then leaps into the air before his buster sword forms in his hands. He swings the massive sword towards Grey who leaps into the air and begins to ride around on a large ninja star. Alister raises the buster sword into the air before lightning strikes the buster sword. He aims towards Grey before a lightning bolt shoots from the sword and hits Grey, knocking him to the ground with electricity sparking from his body.

"That's… enough!" Grey shouts as he is engulfed by yet another bright light, but this time Alister could feel his skin crawling. Grey was about to use something evil against him and he knew it.

From the light Grey hovers out of the light in a strange yellow looking armor, with a spike coming out of each side of his head. The armor almost made him look like a mummy. Eight energy wings appear behind him as they begin to surround him, forming a barrier around Grey's body as he begins to hover above Alister.

"Man… this is just going to be one of those days…" Alister mutters to himself as the wings around Grey form a circle. A massive blast of energy rushes towards Alister as he leaps into the air. Grey quickly corrects his aim as Alister is engulfed by the laser blast.

Grey smirks to himself before he realizes his energy beam is being pushes back at him. He moves out of the way as another massive blast of energy rushes past him, canceling out one of his wings. Grey looks to Alister who leaps onto a building while using Model G, taking instant aim at Grey with his right cannon. Grey takes aim with his own cannon as the two open fire on each other. As the two beams continue to clash with the other Grey forms another circle on his right side as another laser blast heads right for Alister. The green armored hero raises his left cannon before firing it as well, clashing with both of Grey's laser blasts at the same time. They continue the struggle for power for a minute before Alister's back begins to glow, forming two missile pods on his back. Eight missiles are fired as they fly above Alister's head, rocketing towards Grey as the reploid boy watches the missiles hit his barrier, doing nothing to him. Alister disappears from view as he appears above Grey, taking aim with the two cannons.

Grey finally spots Alister above him as two energy blasts hit his barrier which does nothing to Grey. The reploid boy regains the energy wing that he lost before as Alister takes notice that his barrier gained strength after the wing returned. A small visor opens from the side of his helmet as it moves over his right eyes, locking on to the eight wings around Grey. He also takes notice that he is hovering in the air thanks to a small jet pack on his back under the missile pods. His jets die out as he begins to fall towards Grey, who takes instant aim with his cannons. The eight missiles fire out of the pods behind Alister as Grey takes notice that the missiles are flying away from them. Alister fires his two cannons as the push from the two blasts slows his descent. Grey fires both of his energy cannons as the attacks clash with each other again. The reploid boy smirks again before the missiles Alister fired from before destroys the small yellow devices that keep the energy wings stable. Grey watches as the incoming duo of energy blasts engulfs him, shooting him to the ground. Alister returns to Black Rockman as his silver scarf flips in the wind before he lands in front of Grey, who has returned to Model A. The cracks all over his body show Alister that he has won this fight.

"You win…" Grey says before shaking his head a bit, then lying completely still. Model A falls off of his body and shatters into dozens of pieces. A ball of light hovers in front of Alister as he watches it, curious as to what is about to happen.

"Alister, thank you for freeing Grey." Model A's voice can be heard.

"So he was being controlled?" asks Alister.

"Yes. He was a hero before Khan took control of his mind and body… Let me go with you! I want to help you teach Khan a lesson that he will never forget!" Model A says as Alister smiles.

"How can I be sure that you're going to help me instead of helping Khan?" asks Alister while taking a step back.

"Unlike humans or reploids, we Live Metals can never be manipulated." Model A replies.

"He speaks the truth Alister." Model ZW speaks up as Alister smiles.

'Alright then, come with us Model A." Alister tells him as the ball of light flies around in circles.

"Thank you thank you! I'll do my best to help you!" Model A shouts with such joy before merging with Alister. He closes his eyes as he can see three Live Metals in front of him. The first on the left is Model ZW, followed by Model G and Model O. Model A appears beside Model O as Alister walks forward. The four Live Metals begin to swirl around him before stopping in a circle formation.

"Alister, I may not be able to grant you the same abilities that Grey had, but I will still give you the powers that I posses!" Model A tells him.

"Grey had abilities?" asks Alister.

"Inside of him was the ability to transform into all of those forms you saw besides my true form. He was a special reploid." Model A explains.

"Then what can you offer me?" asks Alister while trying not to sound like he was upset.

"I can power up your other three Live Metals… but I will disappear forever." Model A tells him as Alister shakes his head.

"Is this what you want?" asks Alister.

"Yes… it is. You're going to stop Khan no matter what! Even if it means that I disappear forever!" Model A shouts to him before the other three Live Metals group together, followed by Model A. It hovers above them before starting to blink as the others begin to blink in the same fashion. Model A separates into three pieces as it moves above the three Live Metals under it. The right side of Model A merges with Model ZW, as the main bulk of Model A merges with Model O. The left side of Model A merges with Model G as Alister opens his eyes.

"Alister…" Model ZW speaks.

"What is it?" he asks while looking as Grey's body.

"Model A… he's gone." Model ZW speaks quietly.

"I know he is…" Alister replies while turning around.

"We cannot allow his sacrifice to be for nothing." another voice with a deeper tone speaks up as Alister looks around.

"Who said that?" he asks while looking around.

"I am Model G, it is nice to finally be able to talk with you." Model G says as Alister's eyes open wide.

"How are you…" Alister starts as another voice speaks up.

"When Model A fused with us, he gave us a new life… and even turned me from evil." says Model O while Alister begins to laugh.

"That's great, just when I thought one voice in my head was enough." he continues to laugh as two jeeps drive towards him.

"Model A gave us new powers, use them wisely." Model ZW tells him as Alister clenches his right fist in front of his face.

"I will Model ZW. Model G and even Model O… welcome to the fight." he speaks as Susan rushes out of the black jeep, rushing towards Alister before jumping towards him.

* * *

_**End of Chapter 63**_


	65. Chapter 64: The Invitation

_**Rockman ZW: Genesis**_

_**Chapter 64: The Invitation**_

* * *

Alister stands at the top of the Altsien base with his hair flipping in the wind. His shadow bodyguard appears beside him as he looks to her, wondering why she has appeared. The two of them glare at each other for a few moments before Alister looks away as the shadow moves to his other side, as if she wanted to get his attention.

"What do you want?" asks Alister as the silence is broken.

"I wanted to know how you are doing." the shadow replies as Alister gives her a funny look.

"Why would you be worried about me? You're my bodyguard, not my mother." Alister tells her with a somewhat stern voice.

"That may be so, but the job of a bodyguard does not stop with just physical protection." she tells Alister as he raises his left eye brow.

"Did you do this with Kael as well?" questions Alister.

"Yes, at times he needed a talk as well." the shadow replies as Alister crosses his arms.

"I have seen the past world, just by touching the Book of Origins. Manabu and myself were the only ones that could see our past world… what does that mean for Susan and Haley? Does this mean that if the world was set back to the original state… would I lose Susan?" asks Alister as the shadow seemed to be shocked to hear this.

"If they did not see anything of the past world then that means they were born into this world. Nobody really knows how long this world has been active, maybe ten years or a century." she tells Alister as he leans against the rails.

"I don't want to return the world to its former state, not if I have to lose Susan." Alister says as the shadow looks towards him.

"You would be willing to keep things the way that they are… just for one girl?" the shadow asks before Alister looks back at the shadow.

"Yes, I would give it all up for her." he replies as the shadow disappears. He stands there for a few more moments before walking towards the stairs of the roof. He walks into the elevator at the bottom of the stairs as the doors close. They open again at the command bridge before he steps out, taking notice that Forte is still standing in the corner with his arms cross as usual. Manabu is working with some of the men and women on the bridge while Susan seems to give Alister an odd look while he walks down towards Haley.

"Alister! What brings you to the bridge?" asks Lariat as he looks at everyone else.

"What did you guys do with the Book of Origins?" he asks them.

"It's safe inside of my lab… why do you ask?" she questions as Alister shakes his head.

"I was just wondering, that's all." he replies before an image of something appears at the end of the table next to them. Everyone stops what they are doing as the image begins to clear up, barely showing Khan's image.

"Khan!" Manabu shouts as he leaps for the image. Khan looks towards him as Manabu passes right through him, crashing into the floor behind him.

"A warm greeting goes to everyone inside of the Altsien." Khan starts as Alister walks over to him.

"It's only a projected image, he can't hurt us." Alister tells everyone as Khan waves his finger back and forth.

"Let's not waste any of your time shall we? I know that you have the Book of Origins and I want it." Khan tells them as Haley almost laughs.

"What makes you think that we are just going to hand it over to you!?" she asks while standing to her feet.

"Oh I know you're not going to do that, so that is why I have come here with an invitation." Khan replies.

"Which is?" asks Alister.

"I am inviting you Alister, to come to my home and challenge me for the rights of the Book of Origins. The winner takes all." Khan says as Alister crosses his arms.

"What if I refuse?" he questions.

"If you refuse then I will destroy the Altsien within seconds." Khan tells him as Lariat stands to her feet.

"You're lying!" she shouts as Khan lowers his head.

"I can assure you… I am not a liar." he returns as a bright light appears in front of the Altsien. It moves ahead of them as they watch the light stop on a mountain ahead of them. A blast the size of a small city completely destroys the mountain and shakes the Altsien.

"I'll go! Just don't harm them!" Alister shouts as Susan runs towards him.

"That's my boy! Come Alister, step into the light." Khan tells him as his image disappears. After that a pillar of light appears in front of Alister before he steps through it. Susan had just jumped towards him as he disappears, leaving her behind.

"Alister! No!" she yells before another light engulfs the Altsien base. They suddenly begin to rise out of their seats and hit the ceiling before they realize that they are free falling inside of the base. Forte blasts a hole through the window in front of them as he rushes to get everyone out in a hurry. Manabu transforms as he grabs Haley and Lariat before leaping out of the window. They look below them to see that they are above City One, freefalling.

"How is this possible!?" Haley panics as Forte carries Susan and a few others from the bridge. Forte then grabs Manabu as he flies them down to the ground in a hurry. They roll along the ground as he flies back into the air. He charges directly towards the base while he fires his buster gun many times. The multiple charged shots rip into the Altsien as Aile bursts through the same spot. She is holding two men as they begin to scream for help. Forte flies into the Altsien as he searches for more workers. The top of the Altsien opens as the four custom jets lift out of the base, carrying many people inside of their cockpits and even some on the wings. Forte makes his way to the inside of Haley's lab as he picks up the Book of Origins, blasting his way out right after. The Altsien crashes into the ground as an extremely large explosion follows. Haley screams towards the base as Forte flies towards them with the Book of Origins in his arms. He places it on the ground as Aile leaps towards them with the two screaming men.

"Oh give it a rest!" she shouts to them as they stop screaming. The jets fly over their heads before landing beside them, allowing all of the people to touch the ground without harm.

"My God… that was just a taste of Khan's power…" Lariat says as they watch the flames of their base burn away.

Alister walks into an extremely large room with a long walkway that reaches all around. He looks around to see that it is just a normal steel room, an extremely large normal steel room. He looks below to see a large looking glass. Under the glass is a land full of white snow and harsh looking winds. He looks on the other side to see a green field with plenty of trees and water flowing down rivers. He runs to the other side of the building before looking down. This area is like a desert, but with canyons and no water to be found anywhere. He looks to the other side to see a dark area with hills all around. There seems to be a storm going on while he looks around with shock on his face.

"Do you like it?" asks Khan as he walks beside Alister.

"How did you do all of this?" he asks with amazement in his voice.

"When the power to change the world is in your own hands, you can do anything you want." replies Khan.

"That power belonged to Model ZW in the first place. It never belonged to you." Alister says while looking at him.

"Alister, you are different than Isaac…" Khan starts as Alister looks away.

"So you're going to offer me a place with you… is that right?" asks Alister with a smile.

"Think of it Alister, the power that could be at your command!" Khan tells him while gripping his left fist on the rail.

"I already have the strongest power in the world… my power." replies Alister as Khan seems to laugh a bit.

"I like you Alister… you have a clear view with what you want to do." Khan chuckles.

"Then you tell me… what view is that?" questions Alister while taking a few steps back, facing towards Khan.

"To destroy me." Khan answers as he throws his cape to his side.

"And I will destroy you, just like the Black Rockman before me." Alister says as he holds Model ZW in front of him.

"The whole Rock on phrase is really getting boring…" Khan sighs as Alister smirks.

"I agree." he replies as Khan tilts his head a bit. "Rock Fusion!" shouts Alister as Khan looks away from the blinding light.

"Fusion? Amazing… I can feel such power coming from you… it rivals my own! Come then Black Rockman, show me what the second generation is capable of!" shouts Khan before Alister dashes out of the light.

He stops a bit short of Khan as he takes a fighting position, glaring at his enemy the entire time. Khan looks him over as he realizes that his form has changed since the last time they battled. Alister has a little bit more armor around his arms and legs, the armor on his shoulders are a bit thicker as well. His arm slashers look a bit more curved. Khan looks at his feet, the outside part has slashers there as well. His helmet looks the same except for the sides which has silver going all around his helmet. Alister extends his left arm slashers as Khan forms his scythe, both of them preparing for the others first move. Alister moves his left foot a few inches forward before Khan dashes towards him, swinging his scythe wildly at him. He moves slightly out of the way before bringing his left slasher around, clashing with the staff of the scythe. They begin to push each other back and forth before Alister kicks towards Khan, barely missing his chest. Khan leaps backwards as his armor begins to spark, taking notice that Alister's right foot has the slasher going back in place. He forms his double scythe as the wound on his chest heals almost instantly. He charges towards Alister before the hero leaps over him and sends a few shockwaves at his back. Khan jumps into the air as one of the shockwaves hits his right leg, knocking him back down to the walkway. Khan flips over as Alister continues to send shockwave after shockwave, forcing Khan to block the attacks. Finally Khan slashes towards Alister from a distance, forming his own shockwave that begins to cancel out Alister's. Black Rockman leaps into the air before disappearing, Khan searches all around for him before Alister suddenly punches him from his left side, throwing him off of the walkway and into the desert looking area. Khan crashes through the glass before flipping upright and landing safely near a large boulder. Alister lands across the canyon from him before Khan turns around to pick up the boulder. He hurls it towards Alister as he leaps towards it. With a sudden burst of light on Khan's side, Alister breaks through the boulder while using Model G. He slams down in front of Khan as the evil Tera Knight takes a look at this forms new look. Alister slams his right foot down as he takes aim with four laser cannons. He has the two normal cannons on his arms but has two cannons on his shoulders now, held in place by a much thicker looking armor. Khan looks to his legs to see that there is a set of missile pods there. His helmet is more curved and the spike on his forehead curves back a bit now. There is a humming noise that can be heard before Alister opens fire with all four cannons. Khan leaps out of the way as the four blasts rip through the land under him. Alister's cannons pivot around and almost instantly take aim at Khan's new location. A visor appears over Alister's eyes as he locks on with multiple reticules. Four missiles fire out of each missile pod as Khan leaps across the canyons while dodging the missiles. Khan then vanishes from view before slamming Alister against the canyon wall behind him. He rips the two cannons off of Alister's shoulders before pinning his arms against the wall, pulling his scythe around to Alister's neck. They glare at each other for a moment before Alister suddenly turns around, flaring his jets in Khan's face. The evil knight staggers back a bit while shouting out in pain with smoke rising from his helmet. As his vision returns Alister kicks towards him with his right foot. His heavily armored foot slams into his helmet as it begins to crack, sending him flying across the canyons. He slams into what looks like an invisible wall before disappearing. Alister follows after him as he realizes he is inside of the stormy area. Khan staggers around before standing to his feet before a bolt of lightning strikes him back down to the muddy ground. As he lifts his head and the rain washes of the mud he looks to see Alister walking towards him with his armor sparking.

"So Ryzar and Tyzar gave you their powers… those weak minded fools didn't stand a chance." Khan speaks to him as he stands to his feet, healing all of his wounds.

"Those two were a lot stronger than you in many ways. I'll show you why I think so…" replies Alister as he disappears when lightning flashes.

Khan searches the area as another flash of lightning strikes near him, throwing him off his balance. Alister takes that time to attack him from behind, kicking him forward. Another flash of lightning goes across the sky as Alister literally bolts past Khan, striking him in the chest. Khan clenches his fists before forming another scythe, spinning it around as Alister appears in front of him in a flash of lightning. He holds his hands in front of him before his buster sword begins to form, sparking with electric powers as he holds it behind him. They stand idle for minutes, glaring at each other as they wait for the first move. A sudden flash of lightning goes across the sky, all Khan could see was Alister instantly standing in front of him before swinging his massive buster sword. Khan brings his scythe around to block as the buster sword clashes with his scythe. Alister leaps into the air before spinning around with the buster sword, forcing Khan to move backwards. Alister swings at Khan before the evil knight releases his scythe and ducking out of the way of Alister's attack. He swings to his side before Khan grabs the buster sword between his two hands. Alister attempts to break free of the evil knights hold before Khan kicks Alister into another invisible wall. Alister tumbles into a pile of snow before returning to Model G, flying up into the winter sky. Khan emerges from the previous room as he forms his weapon again, taking notice that Alister is in the sky. He leaps into the air as Alister fires the missile again, hoping to hit this time. Khan slashes through one of the missiles as he sends a shockwave at the other seven. As the missiles all blow up at the same time Khan emerges from the blast unharmed. Alister takes instant aim with his two cannons as Khan nears him. He doesn't take the time to fully charge as he opens fire on Khan, knocking him back down to the ground. Two more cannons form on his shoulders as they fully charge, locking on to Khan who is standing up at the moment. The first two cannons lose their strength as he starts to fire the last two. Khan suddenly appears behind him before slashing at the cannons. Just as they fire it causes an explosion that throws Alister into the next room, the fields of grass. He tumbles and rolls along the ground before returning to Model ZW, flipping over as he regains his stance. Khan walks through the invisible wall as he spins his scythe around him. Alister sends a few shockwaves at him as Khan deflects them with ease.

"I must say I am impressed. You truly are more powerful than the previous Black Rockman." Khan says while laughing.

"Stop laughing!" shouts Alister as he extends his two arm slashers.

"Don't be like that! I have something to show you now!" Khan tells him as the area around them begins to become distorted and phase in and out. As it finally stops they seem to be standing inside of a large laboratory with tubes lined up against the wall.

"What is this place?" asks Alister as his arm slashers return.

"I am sure you know of Grey's special powers… I have used those powers to my advantage." Khan tells him as Alister snaps his head to him.

"What do you mean!?" he shouts as Khan's double scythe disappears.

"Grey had the power to completely copy anything he obtained DNA from, a truly unique ability. I began to use his powers to create someone very special to me, someone who without I couldn't of come as far as I have… I want you to meet him." Khan tells him as Alister gets a curious look to his face.

"That just sounds weird…" he jokes as Khan raises his arms towards a single tube on the far back wall. It suddenly slides open as the water inside of it instantly flows out of it revealing a man about the size of Alister.

"He was my enemy in the past world, now he is one of my greatest allies! I'm sure you two know each other!" Khan says as the man staggers towards Alister, barely looking at him.

"Rock… on…" the man says in a dark voice as a light begins to swirl around the man.

"Alister! You have to kill him no matter what happens!" Model ZW tells him as Alister looks towards the light. Stepping out of the light was something he never expected to see.

"Alister Storm, meet Alister the thief, the original Black Rockman!" Khan laughs as he walks over to five tubes that are grouped together. They suddenly open up as the water flows out, revealing the Tera Knights.

"What have you done!?" Alister shouts to him.

"I used Grey's ability to create DNA copies! Only these copies will do everything I tell them to do! Come Tera Knights! Let us destroy City One!" Khan shouts to them as Alister appears in front of him. The Dark Alister appears in front of Khan with his back turned to him.

"Khan… I swear…" Alister starts as Khan laughs.

"Don't swear, it's not good for you!" he continues to laughs as he and the Tera Knights disappear.

"Just you… and me…" Dark Alister says as he extends his right arm slasher.

"So be it!" Alister shouts as he charges forward.

The two of them clash with each other with their arm slashers. Alister punches towards the Dark Black Rockman as he grabs the punch, kicking towards Alister. He flies against the wall beside them before leaping back at Dark Alister, tackling him to the ground. He punches at him wildly before being kicked over. Dark Alister flips over as he sends four shockwaves at the heroic Black Rockman. Alister twists and flips over as he avoids all four attacks, smirking as his face mask closes. The Dark Alister does the same thing before the two of them disappear. Throughout the lab the two of them crash into walls and many computer consoles as Dark Alister is pinned against the floor with Alister holding his right arm slasher at his neck. Dark Alister squints his eyes before disappearing from view as Black Rockman leaps backwards, avoiding the incoming shockwaves. Dark Alister lands before sticking his two arm slashers into the floor, causing a giant shockwave to hit Alister and throw him against the wall behind him. As Dark Alister rushes towards him with his two arm slashers ready to kill him Alister disappears before pushing Dark Alister against the wall from behind. The Dark Black Rockman begins to glow with a dark green aura before he transforms into Model G. His two cannons flare up as Alister does the same thing, hoping to overpower him with his four cannons to Dark Alister's two cannons. The two of them lock on as the energy blasts clash, Alister takes instant aim with his shoulder cannons. Suddenly eight missiles fly over Alister as they blow up the shoulder cannons. Dark Alister laughs a bit before disappearing, forcing Alister's energy beams to cut through the walls in front of him. Dark Alister appears behind as he kicks Alister forward, causing him to lose balance. Dark Alister rips off his left arm cannon before throwing it over Alister. He then fires with his right cannon to cause the thrown cannon to explode. Alister is slammed against the floor as Alister appears over him, charging his right laser cannon. Alister disappears before a bolt of lightning strikes Dark Alister in the back. He twirls around in the air before landing on the floor, looking up to Alister who is using the Boanerges Brothers form. He forms his buster sword before swinging it towards him with such force. Dark Alister fires his cannon and missiles as the buster sword rips through the laser blast. The missiles explode around Alister as the electricity sparking around him sets off the missiles before contact. Alister slices through Dark Alister's cannon before bringing his left foot around to Dark Alister's face. He slides across the floor before returning to Dark Black Rockman, extending his arm slashers again. This time they glow brightly before growing in length, making Alister give him a stressed look. He returns to Model ZW as well as Alister slashes at him, hoping to end the fight now. Alister blocks with his two arm slashers as they are completely cut off. He falls to the floor while losing his form, cuts appear everywhere on his body as blood begins to come out of some deeper cuts.

"Looks like the original is the best…" Dark Alister mocks as he raises his two arm slashers.

"Maybe… but you're not the original!" he shouts in reply before being surrounded by a pillar of light.

"Alister! Use my power! I will help you defend this world against Khan!" Model O tells him as Alister looks towards him, wondering if he should really trust him.

"Alright Model O… Rock Fusion!" Alister shouts as Model ZW appears in his left hand, following by Model O appearing in his right.

Both Model ZW and Model O begin to fade away as Alister's form begins to glow. Slowly Model ZW begins to form over him body as pieces of Model O begin to form as well. Alister raises his head before a light surround his head, quickly forming his usual black and silver helmet. As the helmet forms a spike begins to form on each side of his head, quickly turning into a red color. Alister closes his eyes as his usual chest plate forms, but with a red streak going across his chest. His shoulder armor has a red streak as well as he throws his arms to his sides. His black and silver armor forms around his arms as a red glow forms red wrist guards. Alister opens his eyes as his legs form a black, red and silver armor. He lowers his head as his silver scarf appears around the top part of his torso as a red streak goes through it. The light dies down as Dark Alister takes a few steps back. Before him stands a brand new form, more powerful than he ever was. Dark Alister wastes no time as he slashes at Alister with his left arm slasher, instantly being caught by Alister's left hand. Dark Alister swings sideways with his right arm slasher as Alister disappears. He then appears in the same spot before holding his right hand in front of him. A saber handle appears in his hand before a arrow shaped energy saber extends. Alister slashes it three times before lowering his body, holding the energy saber above his head. Dark Alister rushes towards him as Alister does the same. In an amazing display of speed, Alister slashes through the Dark Black Rockman as the blood splatters everywhere. Alister walks over to him as the dark version of the original Alister begins to laugh.

"What is so funny?" asks Alister as he returns to normal.

"This lab is set… to explode if I die… I hope you enjoy… your hell!" Dark Alister shouts before fading away. The lab instantly begins to shake as Alister looks all around him, searching for a way out. He tries to run through one of the invisible walls, but they seem to be solid now. He slams his fists against the walls but to no avail.

"I am the eternal light that destroys all evil…" Alister mutters to himself as a bright light appears behind him. He turns around to see the blast head directly towards him.

* * *

**_End of Chapter 64_**


	66. Chapter 65: The War For Survival

_**Rockman ZW: Genesis**_

_**Chapter 65: The War For Survival**_

* * *

Thunder begins to boom in the distance of City One, the entire resistance from the city instantly rises from the underground to face the upcoming danger. A pair of snipers zoom in at the source as Kael walks towards them. His daughter Susan walks beside him as they look through their own pair if binoculars. They zoom in directly on Khan as five figures walk up behind him. Directly behind Khan is Alvar, Leo is on his right with Wraith beside him. The Boanerges Brothers are on the left of Alvar as they all cross their arms. Suddenly a massive army of dark looking reploids run past them as the sand kicks up all around them.

"Get the army and the resistance ready for battle… this is not going to end well." Kael tells his lead sniper as he and Susan both walk away from the tower. The two of them return to the castle almost instantly thanks to a straight underground passage. They appear in Kael bedroom as he runs over to a metal locker with a large lock over it.

"Dad no! You can't be serious!" Susan shouts as he unlocks the lock.

"Susan… you know as well as I do… if we continue to hide we will not be able to save anyone. We will counter the Tera Knights with all of our might." he tells her while taking a small object from the locker.

"I understand father…" she thinks to herself as she follows him out. As they walk out of his room Haley, Forte, Manabu and Aile run up to them and stop in front of them.

"What's going on?" Haley asks as Kael continues to walk.

"The Tera Knights are attacking." he replies without losing his calm face.

"The Tera Knights!? But… we defeated them…!" Manabu replies while catching up to Kael.

"Well they're back for some reason. I am sending everyone that I can to defeat them, I would be honored if you would join me." he speaks as he walks towards the stairs. They all follow him down the stairs as Kael turns around many corners before they exit the castle on a balcony, facing the direction of the Tera Knights.

"It is them… but how could they be back…" Haley says while taking a step back.

"Isaac is even with them…" speaks Manabu while Forte takes a step forward.

"That's not Isaac… that's the Tera Knight Leo." Forte states as he zooms in on the green knight, taking notice that he is wearing his mask again.

"Listen up everyone!" Kael suddenly shouts as Susan jumps a bit.

"Everyone?" Haley asks herself before looking over the balcony to see a massive army standing in the courtyards, all of them wearing a dark blue uniform with rifles strapped around their shoulders.

"Today we face the strongest enemy possible… the Tera Knights and their reploid army!" Kael continues as his army begins to talk amongst each other.

"That's going over well." Manabu thinks as Kael raising his right hand.

"I will personally lead this battle against them! Lock and load people, this battle will end everything! One way or another we will have our peace!" he shouts while holding up a tan and black Live Metal.

"He's a… Rockman!?" asks a shocked Haley.

"Rock on!" he shouts as he instantly transforms.

The helmet around his head is a curved box shape with a visor over his eyes. His shoulder pads are a circular box shape as well, the pattern continues on his arms. He lifts a huge cannon on his left arm that has energy flowing through the inside of the cannon at the moment. The cannon also looks like a giant pincer as he opens and closes it. His legs follow the same fashion that his arms has, only more armor to them. He leaps off of the balcony before landing in front of the gates of the city. Manabu, Aile and Forte all three follow his lead as Manabu and Aile transform beside him. Forte flies high above them as he drops his cloak. His wings extend to their full length as he morphs his hand into his buster gun.

"Charge!" both Kael and Khan shout as the two armies begin the battle.

Kael starts things off as he runs at the army with his cannon flaring up. He stops before planting his feet to the ground, taking aim with his cannon. The black formless reploids continue to run towards him as he fires the cannon. The large blue colored beam rips through a part of the reploid army as they begin to open fire on him. Their arms morph into laser guns while some morph into energy swords. Forte flies over him as he picks him up, helping him dodge the incoming attack. Manabu leaps under Kael before drawing his two sabers, slashing wildly at the dark reploids. They begin to fly into the air due to the force from his attacks as Aile takes aim with her buster gun. Khan and the Tera Knights continue to watch with interest as their massive army begins to get smaller and smaller. Kael's army finally makes contact with Khan's, causing massive damage on both sides. Suddenly a large black shadow appears under the dark army, Kael's personal bodyguard rises out of the sand as it consumes dozens of the reploids. The shadow the turns towards the Tera Knights as she begins to plow through the dark army. They slash at the shadow but their energy swords pass right through her. Finally a shot hits her in the mask as the shadow flies back, landing on the sand. The shadow disappears as Khan laughs a bit, wondering where the shadow comes from. Kael drops from Forte as his cannon opens up, landing in the middle of a large group of reploids. They begin to disperse as he grabs three reploids within his cannon and crushes them without hesitation. Forte opens fire with his buster gun while flying through the air, an enemy laser shot clips a part of his left wing before he falls towards the ground. He creates a small ice wave that lightens his fall before slamming into the ground. His wings begin to spark as he sends a wall of electricity towards an incoming unit of reploids. He realizes that he is in the middle of it all. A blast of energy suddenly cuts through the reploids on his left as Aile runs through them. They quickly form around the two of them while closing in, firing at them the entire time. Forte looks to Aile as she looks to him, both of them managing a smirk across their faces before they begin to charge their buster guns. They get back to back before firing at the reploids, cutting a line through them on each side. The dark army quickly forms around them again as their red eyes glow.

"Aile!" Forte shouts before sending a wave of fire at her. She catches on before absorbing the fire causing her armor to turn red.

The two of them turn while firing fire shots out of their buster guns. Forte soon begins to weaken as Aile takes notice of this. Manabu rushes towards a group on his left while drawing his katana, ripping through them with ease. He looks behind them to see they are multiplying after being destroyed. He slashes through another pair of dark reploids as they do the same thing.

"No! They can multiply!" he shouts throughout the raging battle.

"That means we're fighting a losing battle! All forces are to fall back now!" Kael shouts over his communicator.

"I don't think so." Khan speaks as the Tera Knights disappear from behind him.

They appear on the backside of Kael's army as they begin to rip through them. The five Tera Knights kill the fleeing army without hesitation. The only remaining force is Kael and the others. The Tera Knights return to Khan's side as they begin to walk forward. Forte flies into the air with Aile hanging on to him, his wings finally give out as he and Aile fall down to the ground. The two of them crash as the dark army surrounds them once again. Kael plows through the reploids before many of them are able to land a few hits on him, slowing him down. He finally falls to the ground as they pick him up, walking him closer to the Tera Knights. Manabu falls to his knees while struggling to breath. The dark army takes the heroes and throws them in front of Khan's feet.

"Well well… we should get together more often." he mocks as Kael staggers to his feet.

"We're not finished yet!" he shouts as the others stand to their feet. Suddenly the dark army behind them scatters as four jets fly over their heads.

"You didn't think we would just sit around and watch this fight did you!?" the leader of the jets shouts.

"Haley sent us with special weapons equipped to our laser guns! They won't be multiplying anymore!" a girl shouts over their communicators.

"Take out those aircrafts!" Khan shouts as the Tera Knights disappear. Above them the jets all explode suddenly as the Tera Knights return to his side.

"Why you…!" Manabu yells while running towards him.

"It's time to end this battle!" Khan shouts as the Tera Knights behind him begin their attack.

Wraith draws his jagged sword as he knocks Manabu back. Ryzar and Tyzar both form their buster swords as they rush towards Kael. Alvar walks towards Forte as he draws his saber, waving it back and forth. Leo extends his arm slashers as Aile runs towards him. Wraith slashes at Manabu who blocks the attack before sliding across the sand, realizing that he is stronger than before. He sends a shockwave at Wraith who just bats it away with his sword. The red warrior dashes towards him before drawing his energy katana, slashing at Wraith who leaps over the attack, slashing at his back. Manabu hit's the ground as Model R lands in front of him. The Boanerges Brothers clash with Kael's cannons, cracking the outside of it. He leaps backwards before firing a few shots at them, doing nothing to their defenses. Ryzar swings his buster sword as Kael leaps into the air. Tyzar appears above him before slamming him into the ground with his right foot. He loses his form as his Live Metal drops next to him. Forte punches Alvar in the face with his fist already engulfed in flames. The silver knight staggers back before kicking Forte's feet out from underneath him. He stabs Forte in his left shoulder before doing the same to his other. Forte flips over before kicking Alvar away from him, the black robot then falls to the ground as the smoke begins to rise from his body. Leo slashes at Aile as she flips over his head, kicking the back of his head before landing behind him. He buster gun flares up with fire before she unleashes a charged fire shot, engulfing Leo in the flames. He rushes out of the fire before grabbing her and kneeing her in the stomach. She coughs up a bit of blood before losing her form, Model X falls on her back as she falls to the ground.

"Do you see how pointless it is? None of you can match the power I have at my control!" Khan tells them as thunder begins to sound behind them.

"You can kill us… but you will never win!" Kael tells him as he crawls towards him.

"I will win for sure… who among you can stand against me and live?" he asks as the thunder begins to get louder and louder.

As those words leave Khan, he looks straight ahead of him before turning around. In the distance he can see Alister walking towards him, already transformed. He is using Model O still as he activates his energy saber, flicking it back and forth. The sand circles around him as he stops a bit short of Khan and looks around him, watching the Tera Knights very closely.

"Are you guys alright?" he asks as Manabu laughs to himself.

"You're late!" he replies as he sits up.

"How did you survive that blast?" asks Khan, almost sounding scared at the moment.

"You forget Khan… I am the eternal light that destroys all evil! I would never be able to rest in my grave so long as you still walk this planet!" Alister replies as a smirk goes across his face.

"Hmph… you will soon have no choice but to rest in your grave." Khan replies while sounding a bit irritated.

"We won't… let you do that!" Manabu says while standing to his feet.

"Don't you dare!" yells Alister as Manabu falls down again. "I will finish this fight!" he adds while returning to Model ZW.

"You are out numbered six to one… how do you expect to defeat us all?" asks Khan while the Tera Knights surround Alister.

"I'm stronger than all of you put together, nothing can match me at the moment!" replies Alister as his armor begins to glow.

"Alister…" Aile thinks to herself as Wraith walks over to them.

"You cannot fight us and save your friends at the same time! Just give up now!" Khan continues before a shadow appears in front of Wraith.

"I will protect them Alister!" the shadow speaks before a hand can be seen in front of her mask. The wolf mask is pulled off as the shadow image fades away. Alister takes a step forward out of shock as Susan holds a Live Metal in front of her.

"Susan! You were the shadow bodyguard!?" Kael asks as he sits up.

"I'm sorry I never told you father… I just couldn't…" she says as Alister's mask forms over his face.

"Alright, I'm trusting you to do this Susan!" he shouts as his right arm slasher extends.

"Kill them!" yells Khan as the Tera Knights charge towards Alister and Susan.

* * *

**_End of Chapter 65_**


	67. Chapter 66: The Finale

_**Rockman ZW: Genesis**_

_**Chapter 66: The Finale**_

* * *

"It really is disappointing… you should have joined me when you had the chance." Khan speaks as the four Tera Knights walk towards him.

"I'm a bit more disappointed that you most likely used those same words with the first Black Rockman." returns Alister as Khan clenches his fists.

"Life is full of disappointment…" Khan replies as he steps back.

Alvar attacks first as he slashes at Alister, the hero flips out of the way as Leo begins to slash wildly at him. Alister clashes with him for a few moments before the Sons of Thunder begin shooting lightning bolts at him. He falls to the ground as he continues to flip over to dodge the attacks. While flipping over one time he quickly sends a large shockwave at the Boanerges Brothers, knocking them down to the ground.

"Rock on!" Susan shouts as a black shadow surrounds her. Wraith stops dead in his tracks before three kunai daggers fly towards him. He blocks the daggers with his sword as Susan leaps towards him while throwing even more daggers. She has a round helmet over her head a visor over her eyes that is black. A red scarf appears on her neck as she takes a fighting stance

"She has Model P!" Aile says as she watches her fight.

Susan leaps into the air in a spinning fashion before kicking Wraith on the side of his head. He staggers back a bit before regaining his stance just in time to see Susan punching at his face. Wraith slashes at her before she clashes with his sword with her ninja star. It suddenly breaks in half as Susan takes hold of the second piece before jamming it into Wraith's side. The black knight cries out in pain as he rips the half ninja star out of his side, exposing vital circuits. His side begins to spark as he rushes towards Susan, holding his red sword out to his right side. The female Rockman leaps over him before grabbing his cape as she leaps back over him, wrapping the cape around his head. Wraith rips the cape off of him before Susan sticks a kunai in his left shoulder.

"Is this the best you have Khan?" asks Alister in a calm voice as he continues to dodge the attacks of the Tera Knights.

"So far you have yet to fight back Alister." Khan replies as he crosses his arms.

"You're right… let's change that!" Alister shouts in reply before sliding across the ground, facing towards Alvar.

He takes one step before extending his right arm slasher, instantly rushing forward with amazing speed. He slashes at Alvar as the silver knights swings his saber. Alister ducks under his attack before slicing through the silver knight, cutting him in half. Khan's arms fall to his side as Alister turns his attention to the Boanerges Brothers, changing into their form. He rushes at them as his buster sword forms in his right hand. Alister leaps into the air before spinning around like a giant top. He crashes into Ryzar and Tyzar as they fly back, crashing into the ground as Alister slams the buster sword into the sand. He flips over the handle of the sword before pulling it with all of his might, slamming the buster sword down on the two brothers. Khan begins to clench his fists as Alister transforms into Model G while facing Leo. The two green warriors glare at each other before Leo rushes forward, giving Alister a small window to counter. Leo sends a shockwave at Alister as the green Rockman's jets flare up, rocketing him into the air. Alister begins to open fire on Leo while firing the four cannons in bursts, causing the sand around Leo to rise and block his view. Leo leaps into the air as he extends his two arm slashers, instantly flying at Alister. He takes instant aim at Leo as the usual humming noise is heard while charging the four cannons. Leo slices through the two arm cannons before the cannons on Alister's shoulders instantly lower and fire at point blank range. Leo's image disappears as the blast hits near Khan as he watches Alister closely.

"Bravo Alister, but now you will face the real deal." speaks Khan before forming his double scythe.

"I wouldn't have it any other way!" Alister shouts while returning to Model ZW.

Susan drop kicks Wraith before he grabs her attack and throws her across the sand. She slides in front of Forte as he struggles to stand up, his arms and legs are sparking as he attempts this. Wraith staggers in front of Susan before raising his jagged sword into the air, a sudden blast completely shoots off his right arm. He looks to Forte who is smirking at him before his head lowers to the ground. Smoke begins to rise out of his body as Wraith steps on Susan's back, pressing down extremely hard. She cries out in pain as Alister turns his attention to her, instantly disappearing before tackling Wraith from his side.

"Alister!" shouts Susan as she flips over.

"You look good in that armor!" Alister comments to Susan as he slices through Wraith. The black knight fades away as Khan rushes Alister with his scythe spinning. Susan throws a group of kunai's at Khan before throwing her ninja star at him.

"I agree!" she replies as Khan slashes towards her this time. She ducks to avoid the attack before sliding between Khan's legs, kicking at his back before flipping over to regain her stance. Alister and Susan stand beside each other now as they both take the same stance, raising their right arms above their heads and lowering their left arm to their sides. Alister sends a shockwave at Khan before Susan throws another ninja star behind the shockwave. Khan defends against the shockwave as the ninja star slashes into his right leg. Khan falls to his right knee as another shockwave from Alister knocks him on his back. Khan flips over before disappearing, Alister knew he was starting to get serious. He pushes Susan out of the way before Khan's scythe slashes over his head, barely missing him.

"Susan, get the others to safety! Khan and I have a small matter to finish up with!" Alister tells her as he punches towards Khan.

"I can help you!" she replies as Khan knocks her back.

"Yes you can! Get them out of here! Please do it for me!" Alister yells while blocking an attack from Khan's scythe.

"Alister!" Susan shouts while flipping over the other side of Khan's scythe.

"I'll be fine Susan! Do it for me!" Alister shouts while kicking at Khan.

"… done." she whispers before putting her hands together. She raises her index and middle finger on her right hand as a group of shadows surround Manabu and the others. They suddenly disappear as Khan slides away from Alister.

"Sending them back to the city will do you no good Alister! After I kill you I will kill them!" Khan yells as he sends a shockwave towards Alister.

"There's your problem! You're not going to win!" replies Black Rockman as he jumps towards Khan with his arm slashers extended.

"I've heard it before!" Khan returns as he leaps into the air.

The two of them clash in the air as a massive shockwave is created from the clash. They fall past each other before turning around, sending a shockwave towards each other. As the two cancel each other out they run towards the other while holding their arms to their sides. Khan brings his double scythe around as Alister kicks off of the staff of his weapon. Alister brings his left slasher around while flying backwards as it digs into Khan's right shoulder. Alister lands a good distance away from him before Khan disappears from view, Alister does the same thing as the two of them begin a high speed battle. Alister punches at Khan as the evil knight blocks with his right arm, countering with a strong punch to Alister's stomach. Black Rockman slides across the sand before disappearing again, kicking Khan in the face a second later. Khan slides back before the two of them disappear once again, a trail of sand kicks up behind the two of them before they begin a fist lock. The ground under them crumbles as the sand flies everywhere. Alister tightens his grip as Khan's arms begin to shake and spark, showing signs of his first weakness. The evil knight breaks the lock as he jumps high into the air, quickly following is Alister with his right arm slasher glowing. He slashes upwards as a deep cut slices through Khan's chest, causing him to spark all over.

"It's over Khan! I've won!" Alister shouts as Khan crashes to the ground.

"Not… yet!" screams Khan as a dark purple aura surrounds him. He rises up without moving his legs or arms as if an unknown force just picked him up. His armor begins to turn a deep purple color as his helmet vanishes, revealing a face that has two red scars under his black eyes. He has no hair as his armor grows a bit thicker.

"What… are you?" asks Alister as Khan begins to laugh, but in a deeper tone.

"Fool! Khan was never powerful enough to deal with you!" he tells him as Alister gets a curious look.

"Why… are you speaking in third person?" asks Alister while pointing at him.

"I am the essence of Model S… my name is Sigma!" he reveals to Alister with a smile on his face.

"Sigma…? Weren't you… defeated by Model X centuries ago?" asks Alister in an aggravated tone.

"How could you possible know that boy?" he asks.

"You'd be surprised what you can learn when you touch the Book of Origins." smirks Alister as Sigma tilts his head a bit.

"You're a very impressive human Alister Storm, it's a shame that I have to destroy you now." he speaks as he reaches to a green saber handle on his waist hilt. As he slashes to his right his green energy saber extends.

"So we've gone from Alvar to Khan to Sigma… wow." Alister mocks as Sigma charges towards him.

Alister takes a step back out of shock of how fast Sigma is, instantly going on the defensive against him. Sigma slashes wildly as Alister finds out that he has no time to counter him, forcing him to disappear from Sigma's view. The ancient virus smiles before doing the same thing, instantly catching up with Alister. Black Rockman turns his head to see Sigma grabbing his leg and throwing him into the air. Alister takes the time to transform into Model G before Sigma uppercuts Alister, forcing him to cancel the transformation. Alister's face mask disappears as he wipes away the blood coming from his mouth. He lands on the ground before transforming into the Boanerges Brothers form, attempting to form his buster sword. Sigma appears beside him as Alister looks shocked to see him, getting punched in the face before losing his form again, returning to Model ZW. He tumbles across the sandy ground as Sigma walks towards him. Alister begins to spit blood out of his mouth while Sigma slashes at him, the wounded Black Rockman uppercuts as he connects with Sigma's stomach. Alister's right hand breaks on his stomach as Sigma starts to laugh. Alister staggers backwards before he stops glowing, his form quickly losing its color.

"I'll spare you the usual speech about how you should give up now, since I know you will fight to the end." Sigma tells him as he raises his saber into the air.

"No… it can't end like this!" Alister thinks to himself as his eyes turn completely white. Suddenly he is standing in a white room with Zerowing standing next to him. Omega appears in front of him as a green reploid appears next to the red reploid, looking a lot like Model G. The Boanerges Brothers appear behind them with their arms crossed.

"Are you really going to give up?" asks Omega as he turns his head away from Alister.

"You can never give up Alister!" the green reploid tells him while holding his fist in front of him.

"We gave you our powers so you could rid the world of the evil!" Tyzar tells him.

"You must defeat Sigma!" Ryzar adds as Alister looks to Zerowing.

"I'm with you until the very end Alister." Zerowing tells him while putting his hands on Alister's shoulders.

"Your name means defender of mankind…so become that… defender…" Isaac's voice echoes one more time.

"Alright then, let's finally end Sigma's reign of terror!" Alister tells them as they all nod in agreement.

Alister closes his eyes as Zerowing's form becomes transparent. He fuses with Alister as the green reploid walks towards Alister. He fuses with Alister as well before Ryzar and Tyzar fuse with him. Omega stands before him before his form becomes transparent as well, fusing with Alister seconds later. Sigma goes for the kill before Alister suddenly catches the saber with ease, alerting Sigma to his newfound strength.

"You managed to unlock your full power… how interesting. Let's see if your new power can match my own!" Sigma shouts as Alister pushes him back.

Sigma slides across the sand as Alister's right hand instantly heals, extending his right arm slasher before it begins to glow. It grows in length before he slashes towards Sigma. The bald reploid blocks the attack as the glowing slasher nearly hits his left shoulder. It begins to melt away his armor as Sigma disappears. Alister's mask closes over his face before he disappears as well. Thunder begins to sound in the entire area as Sigma slashes at Alister who blocks the attack with an X formation before turning around, kicking Sigma in his stomach. He bends over due to all of the pain racing through his system as Alister flips over, kicking him into the air. A flash of lightning goes by as Sigma takes notice to Black Rockman holding a buster sword without changing forms. He throws the massive weapon at Sigma as he blocks, preparing for the attack. As the massive sword crashes into him Sigma drops his saber as Alister appears in front of him, another flash of lightning reveals Model G's form around him as Alister takes aim with two green arm cannons, still without changing forms. The energy blasts pin Sigma to the ground as Alister disappears again, this time appearing in front of the crater that was just created. Sigma staggers to his feet as his wounds and armor begins to heal. A small red dot appears on his chest plate before a laser shot hits him, throwing him back. Alister throws Model A's pistol to his side before a red light surrounds him. Sigma's face is cracking now as he looks to Alister who walks towards him using Model O, his saber flickering back and forth before he stops in front of Khan.

"I'll spare you the usual speech about how you should give up now, since I know you will fight to the end." mocks Alister as Sigma becomes enraged by this.

"I'll use every bit of my remaining strength to kill you!" yells Sigma as his body instantly heals. His green saber suddenly appears in his right hand before jumping out of the crater.

"No more Sigma! I promise you that after today the world will never again hear your name! I am the eternal light that destroys all evil!" Alister shouts as he quickly lowers his head to Sigma.

Alister runs at Sigma as he swings his saber, quickly being countered by Sigma's. They glare into each others eyes as their sabers energy flare up from the clash. Alister then slides his saber across Sigma's before it connects with Sigma's left shoulder. Sigma does the same thing as it connects with Alister's right shoulder. The two of them clash again with their sabers as Sigma uppercuts with his other hand, connecting with Alister's face. He flies into the air before Sigma leaps towards him, leaving an imprint in the ground. Sigma slashes at Alister before he disappears, the ancient evil suddenly receives a blast from behind as he turns to see Alister aiming a pistol at him with the barrel smoking. This was Model O's secondary weapon. He fires rapidly at Sigma as he deflects the shots with his saber. Alister's armor begins to glow as his shots become stronger by each shot. Sigma is finally overpowered as he crashes into the ground below him. Alister lands with his saber glowing, a massive explosion of energy comes out of the saber as Sigma bounces across the sand. Alister lands in the distance as he slashes at the ground with his saber, shooting an energy shockwave from the saber at Sigma. The wave of energy rips Sigma in half as Alister rushes towards him, quickly rising into the air with his saber first. Sigma falls to the ground with his left arm missing, his lower body completely destroyed. His face begins to crack open before many wires are exposed, revealing the inside circuits of his head. Very slowly he begins to heal before Alister slams his right foot down in Sigma's chest, watching him rush to heal himself.

"This time there will be no comeback for you!" Alister tells him before firing a charged shot into his skull.

A massive explosion could be seen from City One as everyone there falls to the floor due to the force from the explosion. Alister appears in front of them while still using Model O. Susan runs towards him before Manabu stops her, taking notice that Alister is hurt at the moment. He walks past them before walking towards the Book of Origins, slowly opening the book. Before anyone could do anything, a bright light comes from the Book, quickly engulfing everyone there. The light soon engulfs the entire world, creating a new world again.

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_**End of Chapter 66**_


	68. Epilogue: The Eternal Light

**This is it my fellow fanfiction readers, the last part of this story. Many thanks goes out to those that have helped me in my progress with this story, but one of them deserves most of the thanks. kaelenmitharos was a huge help to me in developing my writing skills, so I thank you from the bottom of my heart, God bless you sir. The Rockman ZW trilogy is now coming to a close but from this universe another story will rise up. I will be starting another Rockman ZX based story very soon, taking place after this story. Although it is from the same story it will not be titled Rockman ZW, instead be on the look out for "Rockman Nexus" something I am really looking forward to writing and sharing with everyone here. Thank you all for reading and supporting up to this point!**

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_**Rockman ZW: Genesis**_

_**Epilogue: The Eternal Light**_

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The light continues to cover Tera as everyone is floating in an extremely bright light. They twist and turn in the light while looking forward, even though they are floating next to each other. However, Alister stands in the middle of them, writing in the Book of Origins. He flips through each page and writes down something before flipping the page again. The pen he is using is a normal every day pen, but the colors match the Book of Origins, all the way down to the swirling golden trim. Finally he write in the last page, but then stops, his hand shakes a bit before he continues. He finally closes the Book of Origins as the light around him and everyone else dies out, leaving only darkness. With a sudden burst of light, Tera begins to reform, the desert planet begins to disappear as jungles and forests appear. Green grass replaces the dead sand wastelands, also showing signs of wild life. Eagles and other birds fly through the clearing sky, finally revealing the sun. Deer and other wild animals of the ground begin to run around and drink the now flowing rivers of water. The massive amount of rocky mountains is replaces by flowing fields of green grass. All of the insects begin to fly or crawl away from the fields while some of the wild life begins to eat them or chase them. Everything is back to the way it should have been before… almost.

Alister walks through a concrete street that is empty at the moment, but soon kids begin to fill the street as Alister smiles to himself. Homes begin to appear behind him and in front of him as the parents of the kids open their doors to look after their young. Alister turns the corner of this street before even more houses appear, with buildings forming in the far distance. Hover cars begin to fly through the air as Alister looks up at them. He can hear footsteps behind him before turning around to see Manabu smiling back at him. The two of them walk down the street together, watching the kids playing around, throwing balls around and kicking them back and forth to each other. The sky fills with white clouds as the sun continues to show its radiance. The two walk around another corner as Haley stands there, tapping her feet as she waits for them. Although seeming to be irritated by them, she smiles as they walk past her. They walk for miles before entering the country of this newly born city. They follow a gravel road that curves towards a red brick house that sits on a small hill. The cows moo at them as they pass by, quickly avoiding all of the chickens running under their feet. They watch the sheep eat the grass as the sheep dog rests under a tree, keeping a close eye on them. The house has a window on the left and right of the front door, a swinging chair hands from the left side of the houses porch. Alister walks through the front door as Susan, Forte, Lariat and Kael stand in the living room, all of them looking around in amazement.

"What… happened?" asks Kael as he looks around the air conditioned living room.

"I wrote in the Book of Origins… this is the new Tera. Sigma is gone forever, I made sure of that." Alister tells them as he smiles.

"So… we won?" asks Susan before jumping up and down. "We won!" she shouts in joy as Kael runs to her and hugs her.

"Finally… a world that is in peace." he says as Alister clears his throat.

"No matter what kind of peaceful planet we live on, there will always be darkness. It is up to people like us to make sure the darkness does not consume the world again. I was able to defeat Sigma only because I believe in the light, the justice that comes from it is stronger than an evil, any dark cloud that would attempt to cover the world." Alister tells them as they all look at each other.

"You're right." Aile speaks up from behind, a man follows close behind as Alister turns around to face them.

"D-Dad!?" shouts Alister as he jumps towards him.

"Whoa! It's good to see you too!" he replies before giving his son a hug.

"It's so good to have you back with me Blake…" Aile thinks to herself as Alister releases his father.

"What now?" asks Forte while walking up behind them, taking notice that buildings in the distance begin to explode, showing signs of an enemy force already appearing.

"We do what we were created to do… destroy the evil!" Alister replies as they all rush out towards the city. Three reploids begin to crash through the city as the people and smaller reploids run for cover. The three reploids are all yellow, two of them are mole types while the third one is a large bear. All of them have large spikes coming out of their arms. Alister suddenly leaps off of one of them as they turn around to face them. Suddenly a bolt of lightning hits near the giant bear reploid as the Boanerges Brothers land on a building above them. Wraith lands near them before Leo and Alvar jump in front of them. All five of them cross their arms as Alister looks up at them.

"Alister! Go ahead, we will follow your lead!" Alvar shouts to him as Alister smirks back at him. Forte flies overhead as Susan runs up next to Alister on his left side, followed by Manabu on his right. Kael runs up behind him before Aile and Blake run up behind Kael.

"Rock on!" they shout before Alister holds Model ZW in front of him.

"Are you ready Model ZW?" asks Alister with a huge smile across his face.

"Always Alister!" replies Model ZW before his eyes begin to glow.

"Rock Fusion!" Alister shouts as he leaps towards the reploids as Black Rockman with everyone running up behind him.

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_**The End.**_

**The story made have ended, but I will keep it open. I am already planning the "Movie" version of the story. So until I post that, this will remain "In-Progress"**

**God bless and happy reading!**


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